


Rose Potter and the Game of Secrets

by MissyMegs



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Mentor Remus Lupin, Mentor Severus Snape
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 20:28:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 71
Words: 149,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18038438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissyMegs/pseuds/MissyMegs
Summary: Follow Rosie Potter in this coming of age story, in which she learns to deal with the trauma of growing up 'The Girl Who Lived,' as opposed to her male counterpart, with a little (a lot) of help from the adults in her life. Fem/Girl!Harry. Contains sexual abuse, Slow burn RoseXSirius; However, The main relationship is mentor Snape. Mentor Remus included. Begins in second year.





	1. Chapter 1

Hello Everyone. There are going to be a lot of disclaimers and warnings for this story. This story contains non-graphic, and semi-graphic references to and scenes of sexual assault. I will not be including any erotic scenes of sexual violence, but there may be non-graphic sex scenes later on that are consensual. There are relationships in this story that are going to be portrayed by the main character as healthy, but they are not healthy. This story might be hard to read for someone who has experienced sexual abuse, violence, or rape. I am a clinical social worker, and a sexual abuse and rape survivor myself, so I hope that I can do the story justice for those of you who are as well. This story is a Girl Harry story following the general canon storyline of killing Voldemort for a while (which I do not own at all); however, there will be several major changes. There may be an eventual Girl! Harry/ Sirius pairing, which I am going to portray as a good thing; however, I am also very aware is not and should not be taken as an example of a healthy relationship due to the large age gap. This will be extremely gradual and will not be the centre of the story. These are your warnings, and I hope you enjoy the story. I am going for novel length, updating at least once a week. – Thank you, Meg.

 

Rosie Potter was late. She was late for her very first detention with Professor Lockhart, and she was going to be in so much trouble. Running along the corridor towards her new defense professor's office, she prayed that he hadn't been watching the clock. Herself, Hermione, and Ron had been helping Hagrid with some gardening after class and had lost track of time. She had just been so happy that the summer was over and that school was back in session, she'd forgot that she had been assigned detention on her second evening. Still, It was hard for Rose to understand why she was in detention. They'd had no other choice but to fly the car. She'd had to get to Hogwarts somehow. Staying with the Dursleys any longer was just not an option. When she arrived at the door, the professor was waiting for her exactly as she had feared. However, instead of anger or impatience, he was smiling. His smile had been strange today in class, but right now Rosie was just happy that he didn't seem cross. She was already in enough trouble with Professor McGonagall as it was. Even though Rose was headed for a long boring hour of detention, she just couldn't shake the feeling that this year would be the best year yet.  
"Hello Miss Potter" The professor greeted her enthusiastically.  
"Hi Sir." Rosie replied.  
I'm so pleased that we`ll be spending so much time together this year." He began. "I was hoping to become a sort of mentor to you Potter."  
"Yeah, great, thanks Professor. I appreciate it." Rosie tried to hide her smirk, hoping that he wouldn't catch the giggle that escaped her lips. The detention was just as she had expected. Lockhart had her reading and replying to his fan mail. While she was working, he told her stories of his adventures, which were already detailed at length in his novels. The professor also, not entirely provoked, offered up strange personal facts about himself. Rose learned that he loved lavender, seafood, and that he had fought a werewolf with is own two hands to save a village. She wasn't really sure if she believed him or not, because he didn't really look like the fighting type, but the stories made the time go by faster. Reaching the hour mark, she stood up hastily and turned around to say goodnight to Professor Lockhart. An eerie calm passed over her, and Rosie began to walk towards the Gryffindor dorms. She went straight up the stairs, through the door, and bypassed Seamus on the way, ignoring his goodnight call. Rosie didn't stop walking until she was safely in her dorm. As she began to undress for bed, she noticed something strange. Feeling around at the base of her neck where her tie usually sat, she realized that it was missing. Rose was sure that she had it on while gardening because she remembered loosening it as they worked. Chalking it up to the excitement of the second day, she slipped into her pyjamas and got into bed. Rosie could tell that it was still early, but she felt like she had to go to bed. It never passed through her mind to question it. Maybe she should have.  
When Rosie awoke the next morning, it was to Hermione shaking her. "Rose Potter, we are going to be late!" The girl shrieked. Her friend's voice was shrill as she muddled around the room organizing her things. Rosie felt a jolt of panic before she shot out of bed, threw her long hair into a ponytail and put on her uniform. She didn't have time to search for her tie before herself and Hermione were jostling down the stairs towards the great hall.  
"Rosie, where were you last night? I looked for you after detention and I couldn't find you! We were playing cards in the library for hours! I thought you were coming!" Her friend relayed. Rosie felt surprise wash over her as she realized that she had been supposed to meet her friends in the library after detention last night. She wasn't sure what had happened. "I'm sorry. I guess was tired from all the writing. I think I just went to bed." She mumbled sheepishly. "I'll get the next game promise!"  
That morning, Rosie's first class was potions with Snape. She felt almost too confident as she strolled into the class with Ron and Hermione by her side and took her usual seat at the back. Rose wasn't scared of Snape anymore, not really anyways. She knew he didn't like her, but if there was one thing that she was good at, it was ignoring bullies. Snape did his usual attendance ritual, lingering on her name, but he moved on quickly to the rest of the class. Rosie spent most of the lecture lost in space, her mind in the sky as she daydreamed about the first quidditch practice that would be held over the weekend and passed doodles with Ron. When class ended and before Rosie could make her escape, Snape turned towards her with a sneer.  
"Miss Potter, this is your second day of classes and already you feel it appropriate to violate the dress code? Where is your tie?"  
"I don't know sir" She responded, twitching uncomfortably.  
"Don't tell me you misplaced it making your… grand entrance this year." He drawled. Rosie wasn't really sure how to respond, she didn't want to start a fight with Snape in her first potions class of the year. She just looked up at him and shrugged. "I'll try to find it sir." Rosie tried calmly. He appraised her.  
"See that you do." The potions master responded back, his eyes gleaning in the dim light of the dungeon.  
The rest of her classes were as usual. Nobody else noticed that her tie was missing, and Professor Flitwick taught them a charm to disguise your voice. Ron had been acting like a buffoon using the new charm at lunch. He left both herself and Hermione crying with laughter. Despite her impending detention with Lockhart that night, Rosie felt in good spirits. She would go to Hagrid's for tea the next day and help him with gardening again so that she could retrieve her tie and she only had three more months of her two-night a week detention to go. Before she set off for the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, Rose stopped to give Ron her DADA notes from last year so that he could pass them along to his sister Ginny. Ginny was a first year and very eager to please. She`d said that she would meet Ginny after detention in the library, and headed up the stairs where Lockhart's office was located. When Rosie entered the office this time, the lights were dimmer and she wondered how they would be able to see the papers. Professor Lockhart was standing at the far corner of the room and he motioned for Rosie to take a seat. He was smiling in the same way that he had yesterday and he seemed pleased to see her.  
"Hello Potter, so lovely to see you today." The man greeted her.  
"Hi Professor, nice to see you too." She replied.  
"My dear, I think yesterday's detention was punishment enough, what do you say we just sit here and chat for an hour today?"  
The way that Professor Lockhart said the word 'chat' made Rosie a little confused, or maybe uneasy. She wasn't sure why her punishment was finished already, but she would take listening to stories over reading fan mail any day. He proceeded to talk for an hour about one of his books, but Rosie couldn't quite remember which book, or what it had been about. Before she knew it, she was back in her dorm. Rose couldn't remember exactly how she had gotten back to her dorm. Why couldn't she remember?  
Rosie stared off in a daze for a number of minutes, she wasn't sure how many, and then realized with a start that she had promised to meet Ginny. She was already five minutes late and she took off running towards the library. Rose knew how important it was for Ginny to succeed at Hogwarts, she really had wanted to help the girl. When she arrived, Ginny was already there, sitting nervously in an oversized stuffed chair with her hand on her lap. She had Rosie's notes splayed out in front of her, and her soft eyes perked up as soon as Rosie walked in through the entryway. "Hi Rose!" Ginny beamed.  
"Hi Ginny, how's the studying going?" She asked, eying the notes.  
"Um, well, I think it's good! But maybe you can look it over for me?" The girl replied.  
"Yeah no problem…" Rosie was just about to ask Ginny where she had left off in the reading when the girl shot her a strange glance.  
"Is everything alright Ginny?" Rosie asked, wondering if maybe she didn't understand something.  
"Yeah, sorry, just… did you know that your sweater is on backwards Rose?" Ginny whispered quietly, embarrassed that she was even mentioning it.  
Rosie`s face flushed. What did Ginny mean her sweater was on backwards? Sure enough, she looked down and noted that the high back of the sweater was up by her throat while the slight V-neck dipped down her back. Rosie felt sudden embarrassment. She couldn't believe she just spent an hour in detention with her shirt on backwards in front of her professor. He must think that she was and idiot. Red faced, Rosie pulled the sweater over her head and switched it around, thanking Ginny and then turning back to the notes.  
The weekend came slowly but when it did come, it proved to be one of the best she had ever spent at Hogwarts. She and Ron spent Saturday taking turns on her nimbus while Hermione sat below them studying. They had brought their lunches out to the lake and sat underneath a tree. Everyone was happy. Rosie thought that maybe this year would be a nice break from the chaos of the previous one, and she was so excited to spend it with her first friends in the most magical place on earth.  
Halloween came quickly as it always did at Hogwarts. The leaves changed colors, and the air grew chilly. The high hopes from earlier on in the term were beginning to lesson and Rosie was starting to feel the strain of the school year. There was something different about this year for her. She wasn't sure if the classes were more difficult or the extra detentions were getting to her but she had been feeling so tired. Most days, she felt like she was a walking zombie. Rose was nervous that the whole school year would continue this way. Ron and Hermione were acting differently around her. Rosie knew that she had been kind of avoiding them for a while, but it was only because she was so exhausted. She took every moment that she could to take a nap, or to curl up somewhere and rest. Lately, she had been going to bed earlier, especially on the nights of her detentions with Lockhart. He had started keeping her late, and she usually just went straight from his office to bed once the detention has finished. The detentions were...strange. They hardly ever did any work anymore. Rosie would just sit there and listen to the Professor talk. It felt just like another one of her lessons. The strangest thing though, was that it only felt like she had been there for a few minutes every evening and then she would get up and go straight to her dorm. Rose was unusually careless before and after detention. She would forget to tuck her shirt into her skirt or put her skirt on sideways. Sometimes, she would leave with her hair dishevelled and she didn't understand how it had gotten that way. Once she even removed her tights after detention and realized that she had forgotten to put on underwear that day. Rosie felt like she was losing it.  
The forgetfulness wasn't the only product of Rosie's exhaustion. She was also hearing voices. She hadn't admitted that part to anyone yet. Really, Rose had only heard one voice, and it was just two times. However, the voice that she was hearing was disturbing. It sounded violent. It was slimy and soft and it made her shiver as though it were right next to her or over her shoulder. Rosie wasn't the only one that had fallen behind in the excitement of the new year. Ginny, Ron's little sister, had been beating Rosie to her hide out spots lately. She saw that girl sleeping more often than awake and she was getting concerned that maybe something was wrong with her. She had been meaning to talk to Ron about it. Boys never notice anything, so she wanted to make sure he knew.  
Rosie was just leaving her detention with Lockhart and was on her way to the great hall for the Halloween feast when she heard a soft whisper coming in through the walls. She felt the hairs on her arms flutter and goose pimples popped up all over her arms. She could hear that same voice whispering,  
"Rip… tear… kill…" and it frightened her, so she began to run away.  
Rosie sprinted up as many flights of stairs as she could and turned a corner. There, hung from the ceiling and frozen solid, was Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. She was dead and right above her body, written in blood, were the words,  
"THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAD BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE."  
She was just about to scream, when to her right, Professors Snape, McGonagall, and Argus Filch himself came rushing around the corner and stopped, frozen in time as they observed the scene before them.


	2. Chapter 2

Severus Snape stood face to face with the Potter girl alongside Minerva as Filch's body wracked with sobs from behind. Severus hated the guttural noises of grief. The Potter girl was standing starstruck staring at the dead cat with an expression that told Severus that she had no idea what had just happened. Her eyes were empty. He could not get inside her head. There was something off about Potter. On a regular day, she was so disgustingly emotive. He would have expected her to be crying and yelling alongside the squib. The girl seemed dazed. Her hair was an absolute wreck, and she appeared as though she had dressed herself hastily and without care.  
Slowly, other students began to trickle into the hallway causing a large crowd to form. The Potter girl looked lost, as though she had no idea where to go or with whom to go. Minerva began to huddle the children back towards their dormitories as Snape reached over and grabbed onto the girl's shoulder. She flinched and pulled away. Typical Potter. He reached again and she turned with him as he pulled her toward the hallway adjacent to where the cat had been found. As they turned the corner into the dimly lit hall, Albus came fluttering around the corner opposing them. He was dressed in seriousness and his face was somber. He greeted the girl, and turned to Severus, giving him a meaningful look.  
"Hello Rose dear, might you come with Professor Snape and I for a chat in my office?" He questioned soothingly. Potter looked at her feet, but nodded indistinctly. She appeared dead on her feet.  
"Albus, we encountered Miss Potter alone at the site of what seems to be a cruel prank. Might I remind you of someone who used to enjoy playing cruel pranks that Miss Potter is very well acquainted with?" Severus sneered, gripping the girl's shoulder tighter.  
Potter whipped her head around to face him, confusion etched in her expression.  
"Severus." He replied sternly.  
They moved quickly, Severus almost dragging the child behind him. When they reached Albus' office, the girl took a seat opposite the Headmaster and Severus sat beside her.  
"Can you tell me what happened my dear girl?" Albus asked calmly.  
"I don't know sir…" She replied. "I was on my way back to my dorm after detention, and I well... I got distracted. I turned a corner and found Mrs. Norris like that…"  
"Clearly… all an accident. That sounds familiar. Albus this girl is untrustworthy, it is in her blood. She is obviously lying." Severus chimed in.  
"No, I swear, I didn't do it! Please, I just was wandering around and found her that way!" The girl was starting to panic now.  
"Rose, can you tell me how you ended up in that particular wing of the school in that moment? Why did you wander up there?" Albus asked.  
"I heard a voice… and I got scared."  
"What do you mean you heard a voice Potter?" He spat, "Did you see who did this?"  
"No Professor Snape, I mean I heard a voice, in the walls, or in my head, I don't know." She cried.  
"Severus calm down please. You are scaring the poor girl. Now, Rose what do you mean you heard a voice in your head? What kind of voice?"  
Severus glared.  
"An angry voice… it was saying something about ripping, or killing. I'm sorry Professor Dumbledore, I don't know." Albus held his face pensive but calming. He was obviously buying into the girl's farce.  
"I would like to see some punishment for this Albus. I say detention twice a week with me for six weeks." Severus insisted. Albus looked concerned. "Severus, Rose will not be receiving detention with you. She is already serving in detention twice a week with Professor Lockhart. If you are so adamant, we will just extend that detention sentence with him for another six weeks." Albus countered. Potter's expression was blank. She seemed to have fallen asleep in her seat. Albus had a twinkle in his eyes as if he were doing the girl a service. Severus knew that meant Lockhart's detentions must be soft or even entertaining for the students.  
"Fine." Replied Severus.  
"Please escort the girl to her common room Severus it is late. Do take care Rose. Be careful where you wander. Pay no mind to what happened tonight and rest. It looks like you might use it" Albus ordered.  
As they moved to leave, Potter reached up to tap the gargoyle and the sleeve of her robes came up several inches. Her bare upper arm revealed a bruise. The bruise was oddly… hand shaped. It had five fingers, and it was black, obviously fresh. A pang of discomfort shot through Severus' stomach. He wondered who had given her that. He made a silent promise to look out for anything suspicious. It was after all his duty to protect the wretched child. After seeing her off, Severus stalked back to his chambers to continue with the draught he had been concocting earlier paying no mind to the Chamber of Secrets or any other ridiculous rumors.


	3. Chapter 3

Rose awoke the next morning with the overwhelming feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't sure what concerned her more, the idea that the rumored chamber of secrets had been opened, or the idea that she would have to spend six extra weeks listening to Lockhart boast his achievements to her. She still had what felt like ages left on her original detention sentence. She was also concerned because she had woken up with a large bruise on her arm and she could not for the life of her remember where she had gotten it. It was distinctly hand shaped, and that notion only increased her nerves. Rosie thought maybe that it was from Snape. She remembered that he had grabbed her before they had run into to Dumbledore the previous night, but she had sworn that he had grabbed her by the shoulder… not by the arm. There was something about Rose these days. It was like she always had a barrel of discomfort rolling around in her stomach. Something had been making her feel funny. She was never this tired, and she felt so anxious all the time. She felt worse than she had all summer at the Dursleys. Rosie could hear Hermione start to stir, and she decided to get out of bed as well. She was going to need extra time to make herself look presentable today. She was a mess.  
"Hey, Rosie are you awake?" she heard Hermione whisper from the other bed.  
"Yeah I'm up."  
"Did you really find that cat yesterday? What's going on? Is something the matter?"  
"I did find it yeah. I thought I heard a voice, I followed it, and it led me to Mrs. Norris."  
"You heard a mysterious voice? Rosie I would keep that to yourself if I were you. Are you sure you're okay? You have been acting so weird lately."  
"Yeah, I'm fine don't worry, I'm just not like you, it takes me longer to understand the classes. I've been spending so much time trying to get my grades up." Rosie lied.  
"Alright, ok, well you can always ask me if you need extra help, you know that, right?"  
"Thanks Hermione. What do you think is going on with this Chamber of Secrets thing? Do you think it was a prank?"  
"Well what else could it be Rosie, of course it was a prank, a cruel one, but it is lucky that Mrs. Norris isn't dead."  
"Wait, she isn't? What happened to her?"  
"She was prettified. It is like being dead, but she can be brought back with the right potions. I forgot, you weren't there when McGonagall was explaining it. Where did you get off to so fast?"  
"I was in Dumbledore's office. Snape made him assign me more detentions for finding Mrs. Norris. I think he thinks I did that to her."  
"No way?! He can't! That's why you're so tired, you have no time for school work with all that detention!"  
"I know, I was so tired last night. Snape had to walk me back to the common room."  
The two girls got ready for breakfast. Hermione braided Rosie's thin hair into a long French braid down her back. They borrowed some make up from Lavender to cover the dark bruises under her eyes from lack of sleep. At breakfast that morning, everyone was talking about the Chamber of Secrets. Lockhart announced the commencement of a dueling club that he would be running alongside Snape, and Ron went on about some of the defense spells he thought they ought to know. Rosie noticed out of the corner of her eye that Ginny had fallen asleep at the breakfast table. She felt her concern for the girl spread as she realized that like herself, the year must be taking a toll on her friend's little sister.  
In potions that morning, Snape paid unusual attention to her. He came over to look at her assignment four times, and every time he did, he lingered over her shoulder. It was as if he were watching her for signs of guilt. When the class ended, he stood by the door and as she left her handed her a small bottle of some sort of blue liquid. He nodded at her and said, "For your bruise Potter."  
She felt a sudden shock of nerves, and then relief as she realized it must have been him that had bruised her arm. He was trying to cover his tracks in case she told someone that he had grabbed her. Rosie quickly pocketed the bottle, and moved to catch up with her friends up ahead. As she ran towards them, she could see Draco Malfoy off in the corner laughing with his friends. They were pointing at her and making crude cat gestures. Rose just felt tired. She went through the rest of her classes that day with altered focus. She had another detention with Lockhart that night and he had mentioned something about answering more fan mail. At least the detentions went by fast.  
Rosie felt a bit left out because Ron and Hermione were going to eat dinner together and then they were going to go to the library to research the Chamber of Secrets. She had wanted to go, but she had her detention to attend.  
When Rosie arrived at Lockhart's office, she remembered sitting down, the professor greeting her, and then him reading to her from his fan letters for an entire hour. The next thing she knew, Rosie was in her dorm again. She did a quick 'tempus' charm to find the time and realized that it was 2:30 in the morning. She looked around and noticed her sleeping friends in the bunks beside her. Something felt strange. Her body was shaky and she had something wet between her legs. Rosie got up and went into the lavatory. She pulled her pajama pants down and was shocked by what she saw. She had a strange bloody liquid running down her thighs. It was mixed with something so that the blood was tinged orangey-brown and not red. Rose also felt a sharp and consistent pain in her private area. There was quite a lot of bloody gunk. She felt heat rush to her cheeks as she realized that this must be her first period. Aunt Petunia had always complained about her periods to Rosie. She'd said that when you become a woman, blood comes out of your private area and you get painful cramps. Her aunt would spend days in bed citing cramps as the excuse for her prolonged rest. The pain in her private must be cramps like Aunt Petunia had described. She tried to remember what her aunt did to stop the blood, but Rose didn't see anything in the bathroom like what Petunia used in the house.  
Rosie resigned herself to figuring it out in the morning and she went to fetch another set of pajamas. She would go ask Professor McGonagall before breakfast the next day. Surely, the older witch could answer Rosie's period questions better than Hermione or the other girls could. In the meantime, she got into the shower and rinsed herself off. She was careful not to press to hard on her private area as it was very tender, and then she changed into her new pajamas. Wadding up toilet paper in her underwear, Rose went back to sleep.  
Rosie awoke early in the morning so that she would be up before her roommates. She'd snuck quietly into the bathroom and pulled down her pants. She became immediately confused when she realized that there was no more blood on the wadded-up toilet paper. Her private still hurt, but not as badly as it had the night before and there was no sign of her period. She had thought that they lasted a few days at least. Sometimes Aunt Petunia would rest for a whole week, but she was glad at least that she didn't have to go and ask Professor McGonagall about it that morning. She was sure that she could find some information on her own before next month's period came.  
The next few days passed. She had no more detentions that week, and the weekend came quickly. Rose had practice for the Gryffindor quidditch team on both Saturday and Sunday, and the only reminder that she had about her little period ordeal was the slight pain she felt as she sat perched on the broomstick for two days in a row. Monday was supposed to be the first lesson of Lockhart's dueling club. She was excited. The weekend had felt rejuvenating for Rosie. Her dark circles had lessoned, Snape's potion had helped her fade the bruise into almost nothing, and she had gotten Hermione's help with homework and was almost caught up. She had even played a few games of chess with Ron on Sunday evening. Rose caught herself laughing like she hadn't laughed since that first weekend by the lake.  
When Monday morning rolled around, all that anyone could talk about was the dueling club and as everyone congregated in the defense practice room, Rosie started to feel the excitement as well. Lockhart entered the room with a cocky strut followed by Snape in his usual angry stride. In contrast to Lockhart's ear to ear grin, Snape was scowling. He appeared as though he did not was to be there. When he caught Rosie's eye he only scowled further. Lockhart stepped forward and introduced the first duel, which would be between himself and Snape.  
The two men stood opposite each other on the long mat both poised for action. They had an observing prefect count down from three. Before he had reached zero, Snape shouted, and Lockhart went flying backwards into the wall. The students broke out into sporadic laughter, and Rosie felt badly about it, but she cracked a smile as well. There was something about Lockhart's confidence that was almost annoying. Chagrined, the defense professor picked himself up off of the floor and opened his mouth the speak.  
"Very good Severus, you have just demonstrated exactly how to disarm an opponent. I was expecting you to do that. I think now we should have two students come up an demonstrate" He muttered, rubbing his head.  
"Very well." Replied Snape. "I choose Mr. Malfoy." Malfoy sauntered up to stand in front of Snape and the professor began to whisper in his ear.  
"Excellent choice my dear fellow. I am going to have Miss. Potter please come up and join me." Lockhart bellowed. There was something about Lockhart's voice connected with her name that sent chills up her spine. She shrugged the feeling off and moved as quickly as she could to the other end of the mat. When she got up there, Lockhart wrapped his hands around her upper arms and bent down to whisper in her ear from behind. Rosie wasn't sure why, but as soon as she felt his hands wrap around her arms, she stopped breathing. Her heart caught in her throat and she suddenly could not hear a word that he was saying. Before she realized what had happened, the same prefect began to count down from three. Rose wasn't ready and she knew it. Before she could react, Malfoy shouted, pointing his wand at the ground, and a large snake spurted from his wand onto the mat in front of her.  
Rosie was not scared of snakes. She actually kind of liked them; however, this snake was moving towards her at an alarmingly fast pace. A student from the crowd screeched. She turned her head in time to see that it was Daphne Greengrass from Slytherin. The snake reacted to her loud screech by changing course and heading towards the other girl. Rosie's first instinct was to call out to the snake.  
"Wait!" She screamed. The snake stopped. "Don't hurt her, please! Come over here instead." She shouted toward the snake loud enough for the gathering to hear. The snake began to move towards her again, this time slower. It seemed to have relaxed. Silence fell over the room, only to be interrupted by Professor Snape's voice, and then a jet of light from his thin, black wand. The snake was vanished in an instant and the entire group of students and teachers had their eyes fixed on Rosie.


	4. Chapter 4

Rosie felt frozen in time as she stood in front of the dueling club, all eyes on her. Silence overtook the room. She was not sure what she had just done, but she knew that whatever it was had not been normal. Rose felt the heat rush to her face, and she began to focus on her own breathing. It felt as though the whole room could hear her heart beat. Out of nowhere, a scream broke the silence, "Rose Potter tried to kill me!" Cried Daphne Greengrass from the right of the long mat. Suddenly, the silence erupted into sound from all directions. Rosie still hadn't moved from where she stood. Her stupor turned to shock when she saw Snape rushing toward her. He did as he had the night that she found Mrs. Norris and grabbed her by the shoulder. This time in front of everyone. He steered her towards the part of the mat where her friends stood, and almost pushed her into them. She felt a momentary, but warm sense of gratitude toward her most despised professor as Hermione and Ron rushed her out the door.  
"Rose Potter, you did not tell us you were a Parselmouth!" Shouted Ron.  
"A what?" Rosie replied, confused.  
"You can speak to snakes!" Hermione reverberated.  
"What do you mean? I was speaking the same. I was speaking English."  
"No Rosie you were speaking in tongues! You said something to the snake and controlled it with your voice!" Ron responded, still shouting.  
Rosie was so confused. "Is it a bad thing to be a Parselmouth?" She asked in a whisper.  
"Well… kind of Rose! The last Parselmouth on magical record was You Know Who!"  
"Wait… Voldemort could talk to snakes?" Rosie repeated, astonished.  
"Yes Rosie, speaking to snakes is like the most Slytherin ability in the entire world!" Hermione added.  
Rosie realized then what she had done. She had spoken to a snake in front of an entire room of her peers who already thought that she had petrified a cat. She ditched Ron and Hermione in the great hall and went upstairs to her dorm room, laid down on the bed and fell asleep. Rose slept well that night. The next few days passed uneventfully. Nothing strange happened. The students continued their torment. They called her names and mocked her, but she was trying very hard to focus on her classes. She felt behind because she had been too tired to focus lately. On Wednesday, Rosie headed toward her detention with a sense of accomplishment. Rosie had spent the day receiving extra tutoring from McGonagall in transfigurations in between her classes and she had been able to transform almost everything that the professor had set for her to do. She arrived early for detention and sat down in the familiar office. Lockhart had not arrived yet. Laying back on the couch in the office and staring up at the ceiling, something caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed something familiar, something red on top of the coat hanger in the left corner of the office. It was Rosie's tie. That was strange. She felt a tugging in the back of her mind, almost like she was trying to remember something that she had forgotten. When had she taken her tie off in Lockhart's office? Just then, the door swung open, and her professor entered, as jovial as ever.  
"My dear girl, why didn't you tell me you were a Parselmouth?" He asked.  
"I didn't know professor Lockhart!"  
"Oh, please my dear call me Gilderoy. We've spent so much time together I think it's appropriate. Rosie did not feel like that was appropriate. She felt that her other professors would not be happy to know that she was calling Lockhart, Gilderoy. When Rosie left the office that night, she was upset. She could not figure out why Lockhart had decided to read and answer the exact same fan mail that they had answered in her last detention. Rose even swore that they talked about the same things, and that he had told her the same stories during Thursday's detention. She was awoken again around midnight that night with the same wetness between her legs as she had last week.  
When she got out of bed, she felt as though she was having an accident. More liquid gushed out of her and down her legs. Rosie rushed to the bathroom and pulled down her pajama pants to reveal not blood, but a white, sticky substance all over her legs and her private parts. She felt the same pain as she had on Thursday and she felt a hollowness in her stomach. Rose's body was shaky and nauseous. She was pretty sure that your period had to be blood, not white sticky stuff. She'd thought briefly that maybe she had wet the bed. However, her bed wasn't wet, just her body. Rosie began to worry that maybe there was something wrong in her private parts. Maybe she had an infection of something. She managed to change and crawl back into bed, but she didn't sleep. Something was very wrong.  
The next morning in potion's class, Rosie fell asleep. She fell into such a deep and dreamless sleep that when Snape towered over her and brought her back to the world, she hadn't even realized that she had left it.  
"Potter, is this lesson so basic for you that you feel the need to sleep through it?" He barked. She had never seen him so enraged with her. Rosie shrunk away. She could barely focus on her surroundings. "I'm sorry sir." She said in a daze.  
"That is detention with me tonight Potter."  
"But... professor, I have detention with Professor Lockhart at seven o'clock tonight."  
"Then you will come to my office at eight Potter. One would think that two detentions in one evening would serve as a sufficient preventative measure." He replied mockingly.  
Rosie didn't have the strength to argue. She just nodded and tried to focus on the board for the rest of the lesson.  
When six o'clock rolled around, she returned to Lockhart's office for detention and found him waiting for her there. She felt as though she had just entered his office, and then she was leaving again one hour later. Rose couldn't remember what they had done today. Her body felt so weak. As she started towards the dungeons, she felt the now familiar sensation of something wet running down her legs. This could not be happening. She could not be peeing herself, or doing whatever this was on her way to detention with Snape. It hurt to walk and she had to take a break on the stairs.  
When Rosie arrived in the dungeons, Snape motioned for her to enter and did not say a word. She sat down at the desk where he had the line "I will get more sleep at night" written down, accompanied by a long strip of parchment. She realized that she must be writing lines. She was barely able to get more than a sentence out before she fell asleep once again.  
Severus saw Potter's head hit the desk nearly the moment that she sat down. He was not stupid, he knew that something must be wrong with child. Her personality had shifted gradually over the past few months. She had become a shell of herself, isolating herself from her friends, and she had been dropping in academic performance. Quietly and careful not to wake her, Severus moved over the where the child lay sleeping. He looked for signs of illness. He touched her neck to feel her pulse, and he moved her hair over only to reveal a large bruise like welt on her neck. It looked fresh. It was then that he realized… Maybe Potter had started up with an older boy at Hogwarts. That would explain the sleepless nights, the bruises on her arms, the isolation from her friends, and it would certainly explain the ridiculous hickey that she was sporting at that moment in his detention. Potter was just twelve years old, one of the older boys must have taken a liking to her, and she must have fallen for it without knowing any better. With a sigh, Severus vowed that he would pass his theory on to Minerva in the coming week, but for now he continued to grade his papers and monitor the Potter girl's sleep.  
When Rosie awoke, she was alone in the potion's classroom. Panicked, and confused, she stumbled her way out of the dungeons and back to the Gryffindor common room where she continued her slumber.


	5. Chapter 5

Rosie was very concerned. She was fairly sure that she was dying. She could barely function in her classes. She had not eaten since dinner the previous night, and she had not spoken to her friends more than in passing for days. Rose was supposed to have another detention with Professor Lockhart that evening, but she did not think that she would have the strength to go. She wracked her brain for solutions. Rosie wanted to find help, but she was too nervous to go to any professor that she liked or that liked her. Everyday, she felt increasingly dirty and disgusting. She was having frequent incidents like the previous ones, with pain and fluid leaking from her private parts. She was afraid that if she told someone that she trusted, then they would think less of her. The last thing that she wanted was for everyone to think that she was disgusting, they already thought she was the heir of Slytherin. There had also been more incidents of bruises that Rosie had found all over her body. There had been one on her neck, her arms again, her stomach, and her leg. Rosie could not remember where any of the bruises had come from. She felt as though her memory was full of holes lately. Not only was she forgetting her detentions, but she was beginning to forget her daily activities as well.  
For these, and many other reasons, Rose Potter found herself standing outside the door to her most hated professor's office trying desperately to work up the courage to go inside. She counted down from three several times, but each time she was too afraid to knock. The last time, she'd reached one and had just enough gumption to create the faintest echo of skin against wood. That was all it took for Snape to hear. Rosie heard him shift at his desk, and call out from behind the door.  
"Enter."  
She was shaking and her breath was shallow. She had not planned on what to say. It had taken all of her courage just to reach out to somebody. Rose had never even had a full conversation with Snape. She regretted her decision the moment that she heard his stern reply to her knock. Slowly, and with bated breath, Rosie pushed open the door to reveal herself standing in the entrance.  
Severus quickly disguised his surprise as he came face to face with the Potter girl at the door to his office. She was pallid, and ill looking, and she was trembling so fiercely that he was not quite sure if she were breathing. Severus felt that this situation might constitute as an emergency, wondering if he should floo Albus. The child looked absolutely wretched. In that moment, he'd forgotten to think of James Potter when he looked at her, but thought instead of Lily. Potter's eyes were wide, her green stare met his dark expression and he rose from the desk.  
"Potter… are you alright?" He asked cautiously, trying to mimic Albus' soothing tone. He held his arms out in front of him to warn her of his approach as he slowly moved toward her frozen body.  
"P..p…professor Snape. Something is wrong." She shuddered as she spoke. Severus could tell that he would be hard pressed to get her to answer any of the questions that were burning behind his nonchalant expression. "Potter, sit down." He ordered. He had tried to use a tone that implied choice in the matter, but when he uttered the words, he realized that he sounded no different than usual. Potter didn't seem to notice though. She quickly took a seat in front of him so that they were separated only by the desk.  
"Now, Miss Potter, can you please tell me why you have decided to grace me with your presence this evening?" Severus tried. The child began to wring her hands together and she looked down at her lap, but responded to his question. "I think I'm sick Professor Snape." She said at a level barely above a whisper. He nodded his head, allowing her to continue.  
"I can't remember anything. I'm always so tired. I can't remember where I've been or where I'm going. I have been having… some pain."  
"What kind of pain Potter?" Severus asked reassuringly. Well… he thought it had been reassuring. The girl's face seared red and her eyes pricked with the beginnings of tears. "I…can't tell you Professor, I can't!" she sobbed as she covered her eyes with her face. Severus tensed and his brain began to work.  
"Potter, I would like you to attempt to explain to me calmly what type of pain you are experiencing."  
The girl shook her head.  
"Potter, if you won't tell me, I'm going to need you to look at me. Do you understand? Look directly into my eyes, and then I need you to think about your pain. Can you do that?" He instructed, his voice neutral.  
The girl nodded but kept her hands over her eyes. Severus moved the desk out from in between them and then reached out and lightly pried Potter's hands loose, dropping her arms down to the sides. She raised her head to stare at him, and as her familiar green eyes pierced his, he silently cast a legilimency spell.  
Potter sat on the floor of a bathroom with her bottoms off, feeling something sticky that had gotten all over her thighs and her pajamas. She felt upward in between her legs and winced in pain as she moved over her private area with her hand.   
Before Severus could see further, Potter had closed her eyes and let out a whimper. Tears poured down the cheeks of her red face, hot with shame. At once, Severus realized with sickening clarity what he saw, and what Potter was trying to tell him.  
"Miss Potter. It is important that you disclose to me immediately who did this to you." Severus stated firmly holding her gaze as she tried to look away. He grasped her elbows in his hands to keep her body facing his. A look of confusion spread across the girl's face and she titled her head to the side.  
"What do you mean Professor Snape? Did what?" She asked innocently.  
This was the moment that Severus Snape realized that he was in over his head. "Potter. I need you to tell me the truth. Did somebody force you to have sex with them?" Severus stated slowly, allowing her time to catch up.  
The girl shut her eyes tightly and turned her head to the side. "I don't know what that means Professor." She choked out in between sobs. In this moment, Severus would have liked to be anywhere else in the world but alone in his office with Rose Potter. He closed his eyes in frustration and then back peddled, wracking his brain for some common ground to go off of.  
"Potter. Please listen carefully. Did a boy… or a man that you know try to put his penis into your vagina?"  
A look of utter horror at what she had just been asked remained plastered on the girl's face. "No Professor Snape!" She cried out in revulsion. Severus was dumbfounded. What had happened to this child? There was no other explanation for what he had witnessed in Potter's memory. She had been raped, but she had no memory of the incident. Severus had an idea. "Miss Potter. Please look at me again, directly in the eyes, and remember for me everything that you did on the day that you last felt the pain that you describe?" He tried, pulled her chin back up so that their eyes met.  
Potter eating breakfast, Potter in his potions class, transfigurations, charms, and Defense. Writing a letter up in the Owlery. Heading down the stairs and to Gilderoy Lockhart's office for detention. A story about giants and a concerned fan…  
Severus' heart stopped. Just for a moment. The memory had changed when Potter had entered Lockhart's office. The edges were blurry. The sequence was unclear. She was present in the memory, but she was only a copy of herself. This memory was false. Severus could spot a false memory from a mile away. With a look of absolute repulsion on his face, Severus let his breathing deepen, and slow down. He tried to compose himself. The child was obviously very distressed. Rose Potter had spent a total of sixteen weeks in detention with Gilderoy Lockhart this year. Two months ago, Severus himself had spotted a hand shaped bruise on the child's arm… and just three weeks before, he had spotted a large bruising hickey on her neck. He felt sick, resisting the urge to wretch. Gilderoy Lockhart had to be in his mid-forties. This was no boy that Rose Potter had fallen for, this was a man, her professor, in the same position as Severus himself was with the girl. Shock quickly faded from his system and was replaced with burning, insatiable, rage. Severus could almost feel his gaze turn to stone. Potter winced as his grasp on her arms tightened. All that Severus could see was Lockhart leering over the girl during the first meeting of the duelling club, grasping her from behind, whispering in her ear. He could see Albus' eyes twinkling as he assigned another six weeks of detention to Potter upon Severus' request with Lockhart. Albus hadn't really been trying to punish the girl. Neither of them had any idea what they had caused.  
Severus did not know what to do with the child. She was staring into space, her eyes glazed over with confusion, and her tears turning into blotches over the pale skin under her eyes. He had to fetch Albus immediately. Taking one last breath to compose himself, Severus bought the girl's arms down to her sides and began to regain control.  
"Potter. I need you to do exactly as I say. Please wait here while I retrieve a dreamless sleep draught from my store cupboard."  
"Professor Snape, what's happening? I don't understand what's going on." She cried.  
"I will tell you, but you need to trust me. You will need to rest. When you wake up, we can talk. Wait here." Severus moved quickly to his store cupboard and pulled the dreamless sleep from the shelves. He rushed back out into the office and helped the girl to lie down on the sofa next to where he had moved the desk. He watched as she downed the potion and waited for it to take effect. As soon as he was sure that Potter was asleep, Severus turned towards the fireplace and stepped inside.


	6. Chapter 6

Rosie awoke to the sound of urgent whispering coming from beside her. She was uncomfortable, cold, and her neck hurt form sleeping with her head propped up on the arm of the couch. She kept her eyes shut for a moment hoping to eavesdrop on the conversation being had. She felt her stomach role with shame and embarrassment at having shown Snape those memories. He was her teacher, and a man. Plus, he hated her more than any other student. Rose did not want to look at him ever again. The voices came into focus for Rosie as she drifted back into consciousness.  
"Severus, my boy, we absolutely cannot tell Rose what happened to her." Whispered a familiar voice beside her.  
"Albus she has a right to know. She knows that something is wrong, we cannot keep it from her. That would be cruel, even beyond your usual standards." Snape replied icily.  
"Severus my boy, have you developed a sudden affection for the girl?"  
"I don't need affection to be horrified by this Albus. She's a child. A professor, in our own faculty did this. It is sick, but you cannot hide the girl's past from her. It isn't fair."  
"Severus, you don't understand what this could do to her, what this could do to her magic. I have seen this before. I know what the consequences can be."  
"Albus, if you won't talk to her, I will. I am not on your side here."  
"Severus, if you do this, the girl will be your responsibility, no matter the consequences."  
Rosie stretched her arms to warn her professors that she was waking up. The conversation was immediately halted. She didn't understand what was going on. What had happened to her? Rose opened her eyes with care and brought herself into a sitting position on the couch.  
"Good evening Rose, I'm glad you've joined us my dear girl." Professor Dumbledore said with a smile.  
"Would you like a lemon drop?" He offered.  
She reached out to take the lemon drop from the headmaster and popped it in her mouth. It was soothing to her. It had been a while since she had last eaten. Professor Snape eyed her intently, his head tilted forward waiting for her to ask the inevitable question. Rosie's body betrayed her, and she felt as though she couldn't speak.  
"Professor Snape, what happened to me?" She asked, he voice mousey and small.  
Snape face remained composed. Dumbledore was staring at Snape with an unreadable expression on his face.  
"Potter, tell me, what knowledge do you have on the topic of sexual intercourse?" He asked carefully.  
Rosie didn't understand what that meant. She felt like she should know, because both her professors were waiting for her to respond, but she just didn't. "I don't know what that means sir." She admitted breathlessly.  
"Severus." Dumbledore cautioned.  
It seemed as though Professor Snape didn't know what to say. He kept doing some sort of choking motion, like he was going to speak but then decided not to.  
"Alright Potter. Did your Aunt and Uncle ever talk to you about marriage?" Snape tried again.  
Rosie was lost. She didn't understand how her aunt and uncle's marriage had anything to do with what had happened to her. "Erm, I'm sorry sir. My aunt and uncle never really talked to me about anything." Rose replied with chagrin.  
Professor Snape remained hard-faced, staring at her. Just then, from the opposite side of her, Professor Dumbledore chimed in. He smiled kindly at her and reached out his hand to rest on top of hers.  
"Rose my dear. Something very frightening and difficult to explain has been happening to you this year without your knowledge. Professor Snape thinks that it is in your best interest that we are honest with you, and I am inclined to believe him. However, I need you to remain calm whilst we have this conversation."  
"Am I sick Professor Dumbledore?" Rosie asked worriedly.  
"No, my dear, you are not sick. There is another reason for why you have been experiencing those odd and uncomfortable physical symptoms that might be hard for you to understand right away." Rosie's face turned cherry red. She brought her hands up to her face again to cover her eyes. She was not comfortable talking about this with the headmaster and her male professor. As if he could read her mind, Snape piped up to the left of her.  
"Potter. Professor Dumbledore and myself are men, but we are also adults, and we are your teachers. You should not feel embarrassed or ashamed to disclose your symptoms to us."  
Rosie nodded but she didn't speak. "Potter. Human beings are designed with pleasure centres in many areas of the body. Those pleasure centres release hormones and, when stimulated, can cause all sorts of physical changes in the body." Snape explained. He was obviously trying to stay composed, but she could see that he was cringing.  
Rosie nodded that she understood. Then he continued, "One of these pleasure centres can be found in the genitals Potter. That is the penis or vagina." He added. Dumbledore rolled his thumb over Rosie's hand soothingly and she winced. She would never get used to Professor Snape using those words with her.  
"When two people, usually adults, want to experience pleasure together, they will sometimes stimulate the pleasure centre of the other person. Some of the ways to accomplish this include touching the genitals of the other person, or touching their genitals together." It felt like he was teaching a class.  
"Gross." Rose shuddered and she started to get a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Dumbledore gave her an encouraging smile and continued to stroke her hand.  
"Potter. Do you get where I am coming from with this?" Snape asked, his large nose wrinkling.  
"I guess so sir… but I'm still confused. I don't understand why I was having that pain." She replied guardedly.  
"There are times Potter, when people who are adults make poor decisions in choosing who to take pleasure from. For example, the body of a child is not compatible with the body of an adult. When a grown man chooses to take pleasure from a young girl, the insertion of his penis may cause pain and discomfort for the child.  
Rosie's stomach turned in knots. Her face flushed again and she pulled her hands off the desk, away from Professor Dumbledore's and began to wring them together. "Rose." Dumbledore tested.  
"Are you saying that somebody put their... you know... private into my…?" Rosie whimpered.  
Snape's face contorted for a moment into a pained look, and then he composed it again. That told Rosie exactly what she needed to know.  
"Yes, my dear girl, somebody did." Replied Professor Dumbledore.  
Suddenly, Rosie's mind was flooded with questions. "Who did that to me? Why don't I remember?" She questioned, confused and upset.  
Professor Snape put his head in his hands and did not answer. Dumbledore glanced over at Snape and then turned to Rosie, giving her a very serious, knowing look. Then he asked, "Rose, do you remember feeling uncomfortable around anyone this year? Maybe you forgot what you talked about with them, or you forget where you had just come from? Maybe you felt different after you left them."  
Rosie wracked her brain. When had her confusion started? It was hard to pinpoint, but it eventually dawned on her with sickening clarity. Detention with Lockhart. She understood now. She had detention on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Those were the days that she felt the most pain. Those were the days that she had sticky legs, and those were the days that she felt confused. She would get better over the weekends, and then she would always dip back down into confusion when Wednesday rolled around.  
"No." She said clearly. "No, no, no." Professor Snape's head was still in his hands. He hadn't moved, but Dumbledore got up to sit beside her. "Professor Lockhart?" Rosie's asked meekly, looking to Dumbledore for the confirmation. He nodded solemnly. The three of them sat in silence for several minutes. Then Rosie piped up with another question. "What was the sticky stuff that I had all over me?"  
Dumbledore opened his mouth to answer her, but Snape lifted his head back up and faced her before Dumbledore could say anything. "It is called semen Potter. It is the result of a build up of pleasure in the genitals and released from the testicles through the penis after the threshold of pleasure has been reached. It was transferred to you from Lockhart. He spat. Semen is responsible for pregnancy in women.  
"Wait... pregnancy? Like I could be..."  
"No Potter. Am I correct in my assumption that you have not experienced a menstrual period before?" Snape asked calmly. "I don't think so." She replied. "Good." He stated firmly. He rubbed his hands over his face again briefly.  
"Professor Snape, can you bring my memories back?" Rosie asked curiously. This time it was Dumbledore that interrupted her. "My dear, I don't think that is a good idea. I think it could be very frightening for you."  
"Albus." Snape uttered Dumbledore's name warningly. "I apologize Potter, but once a memory has been tampered with it cannot be brought back in its original form. What I can do is collect the memories from Lockhart of what transpired, and make them available to you for viewing."  
"Would you please professor?" Rosie whispered. "I want to see what he did to me."  
Snape nodded in agreement with her. "Of course." He stated.  
"What's going to happen to him?" Rosie wondered out loud.  
"Well Potter, what he did to you is considered illegal in the wizarding world. Sex with an unwilling participant is called rape, and sex with a child participant is called statutory rape. You have the option to convene the Wizengamot in a trial against him. However, trials in the Wizengamot are public affairs, so you need to be aware that what he did to you could get out."  
"No!" Rosie cried. "No please don't let anybody find out! Please!" Rosie could feel herself becoming hysterical. She didn't want anyone else to ever know what had happened between her and the defense professor. She didn't even know yet what had happened.  
"Rose." Dumbledore soothed from beside her. "Nobody is going to do anything without your consent. I need you to calm down and relax."  
"Severus, a calming draught would be much appreciated right now I think." He added.  
Snape left and returned to the room again with a small vile of pink liquid. He sat down beside her and held it to her lips. She drank the potion in two gulps, and felt herself grow weary again. She began to drift to sleep once more. Her body slumped against something hard beside her. It was Snape. He stiffened, but did not move her. That was the last thing that she remembered before falling asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Severus remained seated on the couch in his office. The girl had fallen asleep on him. He felt uncomfortable touching her, knowing that her small body lay against his after what had been done to her. Every time he closed his eyes, he pictured the child, Lily's child, pinned underneath of that buffoon of a man. He remembered how innocent Lily had been at this age, sheltered, but not as sheltered as her daughter. He was almost glad that Lily wasn't here now. He shuddered to think of what she would do to him if she found out that her daughter had been abused and violated for months under his nose, under his protection. Severus understood that he had promised the girl the memories of what had happened to her, but he wasn't sure that he could collect them without committing murder in the process. Albus was upset with him and Severus knew why. He knew that Albus wanted Potter to forget what had happened, but Severus knew that she never would. Instead, she would be haunted day in and day out with the knowledge of what had happened to her, but without the memories to back it up. It was brilliant really; what Lockhart had done. If Severus were to ever sink as low as that man had, this is exactly how he would have done it. Lockhart obviously hadn't been aware that he was an expert in legilimency and bound to protect the Potter girl. Severus took some comfort in knowing that he served as the hitch in Lockhart's plan. The girl moved against him again and he flinched. This innocent interaction felt impure. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel the way his colleague had.  
Albus kept his eyes trained on Severus and the child draped across his body. Severus knew what he was thinking. He had made such a mess with this child. He had tormented and bullied her in the middle of this ordeal. He knew that Albus would be disappointed in him.  
"I think you handled that very well Severus." Albus said solemnly. He sounded defeated.  
"What can be done about Lockhart?" Snape asked coolly. "We can't very well convene the Wizengamot in this. The entire wizarding world will bare witness to those memories. There won't be a pureblood male in Europe that hasn't seen that girl's naked body. Think about it Albus, think of the torment that she would endure."  
"I understand my boy. I will have him out of the castle by the end of the Christmas break."  
"I need to get those memories for Potter, but I need to be accompanied to do so. If you will, Albus."  
"Of course, my boy. Though I still think that there are some stones best left uncovered."  
Severus awkwardly cradled the girl's upper body in his arms as he tried to position her horizontally on the office couch. It was the middle of the night still, so he was fairly certain that they could be to Lockhart's chambers and back before Potter woke up again. In the morning they could deal with the memories. Severus and Albus would view them first, and then one of them would accompany the girl in viewing them.  
They walked slowly and in silence up the stairs towards the defense office. Severus grew more and more enraged with every step. Albus stood beside him the whole way, hand on his arm. When they reached the door, they opened it, went inside, and quickly crossed the room to the entrance of Lockhart's chambers.  
Stepping in the professor's quarters in the dark, the two men made their way towards the bedroom. Lying there, undisturbed, was Gilderoy Lockhart. Albus held firmly to Severus' arm, which tensed at the sight of the man.  
"Gilderoy." Albus stated firmly and loudly into the night.  
The man awoke with a start. He sat up in bed and his eyes focussed in on his nighttime visitors. As soon as the light from his wand caught Lockhart's face, Severus caught himself picturing it again. This man, leering over the girl, sucking on her neck, whispering to her, threatening her, erasing her memory. Severus lunged forward. He pinned Lockhart to the bed by his throat and kneeled over top of him.  
"How does it feel to be pinned down by somebody stronger than you Gilderoy?" He sneered as he drove his elbow into the man's chest holding him firm to the bed. "How does it feel to be powerless? Without your wand… I could do anything I wanted to you. You know what that's like don't you? To do anything and everything that you want with someone?"  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Lockhart choked as Severus' grip tightened around his neck.  
Severus pulled from his pocket a small vile of clear liquid. He forced it down the man's throat. Albus watched in silence from behind.  
Loosening the grip on the man's throat so he could swallow, Severus asked again, "How does it feel to take power away from someone who is already helpless?"  
"It feels good." Replied Lockhart. His voice changed. It became cold and unfeeling.  
"What did you do to Rose Potter?" Severus demanded.  
Lockhart laughed. "I touched her, I made her touch me. I held her down. I made her lie there while I did whatever I wanted. She cried and screamed but nobody came running to help the girl who lived. Imagine my elation to find that I had six more weeks with her all to myself. Severus was shaking with rage now. He tightened the grip once again against the man's throat willing himself to snap his neck like a twig. Albus' presence behind him became more pronounced when he felt the headmaster approach and put his hand on Severus' shoulder. "Severus, retrieve the memories."  
It was only then that he remembered what he was there to do. He held his wand up against the man's head and Albus pulled out an empty vile.  
"I want every memory, of every time, of every single word, touch, or thought that you had about or shared with Rose Potter. Now." Severus insisted.  
Lockhart struggled to breathe. Severus was choking him, and his now red face was so hot that his eyes brimmed with tears. The tears began to fall as he choked, but instead of clear, they came out silver. Severus knew these as memories. Albus collected them in the vile. When the tears began to come out clear again, Severus released the struggling man underneath him. He gasped for air and sat up in the bed once again. Albus had pulled Severus off of him and back towards the door.  
"Gilderoy, I am officially expelling you from Hogwarts, its grounds, or any affiliations that it may have. I want you to leave the premises by the end of tomorrow, and I want you to never return here. If you do so, your name will be plastered across the front of the Daily Prophet for months to come. Do you understand?" Albus relayed.  
"Yes!" Lockhart gasped.  
"I have never been so disgusted with an employee in my entire life. You should be truly ashamed Gilderoy." He finished.  
Albus and Severus left the man's quarters as swiftly as they had entered them, exited through the office, and walked back to the dungeons together in silence. When they arrived in Severus' office, the girl was still asleep on the couch. She looked peaceful. Albus went quickly to his headquarters to retrieve the pensive, and returned. Together, they poured the memories into the basin, and stepped inside.


	8. Chapter 8

When Rosie woke up this time, she was no longer on the couch in Snape's office. She was in a bed. This was definitely not her own bed. She was confused, but she felt safe, rested, and hungry. Sitting up in the large bed, Rose noticed a set of small purple pajamas and a towel resting on the foot. The pajamas had little snitches on them. The door next to the bedroom led to a small ensuite and Rosie guessed that she was meant to shower and change. She did feel disgusting. She let the warm water rush over her body as she reflected on the what had yet to come. She felt relieved to know that she was going to start feeling better, but she was nervous because she had understood how worried Professor Dumbledore was for her to see Lockhart's memories.  
When Rosie stepped out of the shower, she dressed herself in the fresh pajamas. The bottoms were loose and the top fit her well, but they were not her own. She pulled her wet hair back into a quick braid and picked up the pink toothbrush that was laid out on the counter. When Rosie had finished getting changed and cleaned up, she opened the door to the bedroom tentatively. In the next room she realized, both Professor Snape and Dumbledore sat in silence. They were each on opposite couches. The décor in the living area was all black, and Rosie understood that is must be Snape's living chambers. She felt embarrassed to be permitted inside, and to have slept it what was obviously her most hated professor's bed. Snape had his head in his hands again. That made her very nervous because she had never seen her Professor express anything other than that rigidity and sarcasm before last night. Dumbledore sat on the other couch, his hands folded on his lap and his eyes closed almost as though he might be asleep sitting up.  
Rosie stepped out of the bedroom into the living area. "Hi." She stated simply. Immediately, Professor Snape straightened up where he sat and took his hands from his eyes. Dumbledore moved slower. He opened his eyes, turned to her and smiled.  
"Good morning Rose. How did you sleep?" He asked gently.  
"Well, thank you Professor. Thanks for the pajamas." She responded. Snape just nodded at her. Rosie wasn't sure what to say next, but luckily Dumbledore beat her to it. "My dear girl, Professor Snape and I are going to have to insist that you eat something before we proceed with today's highly unpleasant activity." Rosie touched her hand to her stomach. She was beginning to realize how hungry she really was. "Ok professor, thank you." She said quietly. Still standing awkwardly at the entrance to the living room, it was a welcome gesture when Snape got up quietly from his seat and directed her towards a small table. He opened a pot on the stove and pulled out some soup. He served a small portion into a bowl and placed it in front of her. "All of it Potter." He commanded. Rosie was very uncomfortable sitting there eating her soup. The two men just sat in silence, they didn't try to make conversation with her. It was obvious that they were just waiting for her to finish.  
When Rosie was finally done eating, she brought her dish to the sink and began to wash it by hand. When she was done, she turned around to see both of her professors staring at her perplexed. "Umm… so can we do this?" Rosie asked curiously. She just wanted it to be over with. She wanted to be done with this horrible incident so that she could get back to her friends and classes and act like everything was normal. Dumbledore put up his hands like he was admitting defeat and gave Snape a meaningful look as he walked over to take his seat on the couch again.  
"Sit down Potter." Snape motioned toward the couch where he had been seated previously. He took a seat next to Dumbledore who rested his hand on Snape's shoulder for a moment. The whole exchange was weird for Rosie.  
"Miss Potter, last night the headmaster and I were able to retrieve the memories of what happened from Lockhart." He started. "We wanted to make sure that you would be strong enough to handle viewing them, so for that reason we had you rest, eat, and change. I want to be honest with you when I say that myself and Professor Dumbledore have already seen the memories. You need to be prepared."  
"Oh." Was all that Rosie could muster up in response. She was starting to feel sick. Rose felt herself wringing her hands together again.  
"When you are ready, I will bring out the pensive."  
"What is a pensive?" Rosie asked.  
"It is a small basin that contains the memories that we took from Lockhart's head. You will be asked to touch the surface of the basin's contents and then you will feel as though you are falling into the memories."  
"Will I be alone?" She wondered out loud. Snape responded quickly and with a firm "No. I will accompany you."  
Now feeling really anxious, Rosie waited for Snape to bring out the pensive. He placed it in the centre of the two couches on an end table and he shot her a warning glance. "Potter on the count of three, you will place your hand inside of the basin and I will do the same." She was going to be sick. As Snape began the count, she couldn't resist reaching out and grabbing a handful of the Professor's long black cloak in her fist. He flinched, but did not stop her, and on three they both put their hands into the swirling silver liquid of the basin.  
They fell for a moment and landed in the dimly lit defense office, Rosie's hand still clutching tightly to Professor Snape's cloak. He looked down at her and something akin to physical pain flashed across his face before he reached out his arm and placed his hand on Rosie's shoulder in what she assumed was support. The first memory was beginning.  
Rosie ran through the door of the defense office a little breathless. "Sorry I'm late Professor Lockhart! She apologized nervously. "Ah not to worry Miss Potter, it happens."   
Severus did something with his wand to fast forward the memory. "This memory is real up until the end of the detention Potter." When they got to the end of the memory, Rosie stared in shock.  
"Now Miss Rose, Lockhart sneered menacingly… he approached her and grabbed at the tie around her neck. You are going to go back up to your dormitory. You will not talk to anyone, and you will go directly to sleep. You need to practice following my orders from now on." He demanded. "I am going to hang on to this sweet girl." His voice disgustingly sweet as he slowly undid the tie from her neck, caressing his hands across her throat. "Obliviate" she heard, and then the memory went dark.   
Rosie's brows furrowed. She could only stare in shock at what she had just witnessed. She had not idea that any of that had ever transpired. She'd thought her tie was at Hagrid's. She began to tremble and Snape must have noticed because he paused the memories, moved to kneel in front of her, and held her upper arms to keep her still.  
"Potter. This is the very first time you ever encountered Professor Lockhart alone. We cannot do this if you are going to fall apart. You need to stay strong, and watch. Do not close your eyes. Do not hide. I am not trying to hurt you, or torture you, but if you do not watch these memories, you will regret it for the rest of your life." He said very seriously.  
Rosie mustered up all of the courage that she had and nodded at her professor. "Yes sir." She said bravely, but she was still trembling. Snape started the memories again.  
Rosie was watching from the sidelines as the other Rosie sat on the couch in the defense office with Professor Lockhart beside her. He moved in close, took her cheek in his hand, and kissed her lips. This seems to rile him up because he breathed in deeply and sprung himself onto her in a semi-sitting position. She yelled as he did this, but he put one hand over her mouth. He began fumbling with her sweater and managed to take it off. Then he was touching her, on her breasts, through the thin undershirt that she wore beneath the sweater. Rosie could see the horror in her own eyes but she couldn't fight back, he was too big. He seemed to burn himself out. Lockhart removed his hand from her mouth and helped her put her sweater back on. It was backwards. The memory faded.   
"Oh my god." She breathed. Snape's thumb rubbed across her shoulder. Rosie could only stare as one memory faded into another.  
She was on Lockhart's couch again. Her pants were of and so were her underwear. Lockhart had his fingers inside of her. He had the other hand over her mouth. Her body was still and her face pale. As he moved them, he rubbed himself against her.   
Next memory.  
He lay on top of her, his fist full of her hair and her face to the couch. They were fully clothed. Her rubbed himself on her from behind as she struggled to breathe.   
Next memory.  
He forced her down onto her knees on the floor beneath him. He took out his… private.  
Now the professor gripped her shoulder tighter, he must have known what was coming.  
Then, Lockhart grabbed another fist full of hair and with his other hand he grabbed tightly onto her arm… hard enough to leave a hand shaped bruise. He pushed Rosie's face into his…. She tried to gag and scream but he didn't let her. He forced it into her mouth and moved her back and forth by her hair. When he was done Rosie cried and gagged. Lockhart tried to help her clean up, but she left looking a mess.   
Rosie was so shocked. She was leaning on Professor Snape because she couldn't stand alone but she did not look at him. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want him to see her like this. She didn't want to watch anymore, but somehow, she couldn't close her eyes. Rosie watched three more memories where Lockhart did that same thing with his… private to her mouth. She had one hand pressed against her throat and she could almost feel her gag reflex balking as she watched.  
Lockhart undressed her, slowly, with a smile on his face. He caressed her skin, her breasts, and he ran his hand down her arm creating goose pimples on her already shaking body. He began to undo her skirt, her tights, and pull down her underwear. He took out his… too. The professor pushed her roughly back onto the couch and got on top of her naked body. She heard the other Rosie scream, but it fell on deaf ears. His private became hard like a stick and he forced her legs to open. Tears fell down the other Rosie's face and she shrieked in pain as Lockhart leaned forward and put himself… inside of her. Over and over again.   
Snape paused the memories again as Rosie almost fell over from the force of what she had just seen. The professor caught her and held her up to look at him. "Potter breathe." He ordered. She let out the air that she had been holding in. Severus got behind her, and put both hands on the sides of her shoulders, holding her up. He played the memories again.  
Lockhart holding her down, Lockhart inside of her again, sucking on her neck as he moved. The other Rosie couldn't scream, she was frozen. The memories were changing so fast. Him trying to clean her up. He bit her, he put it inside of her again. He hit her in her stomach to keep her down. He flipped her over so that her face was cover by the couch again as he pushed himself inside of her.   
Rosie counted ten different times that he had put his… into her private before finally the memories ended. He'd done something different to her every time. Each time was just as appalling as the last. When the whole room went black again, her professor held onto her, supporting all of her weight, and she could feel them going up again, floating into nothing.  
When they reached the living room again in Snape's quarters, Dumbledore was there waiting. Rosie could still feel Snape supporting her, but now she felt repulsed. She turned and pushed him away with all of her strength and shouted "Get off me!" Her voice broke as she did so. Snape backed away and stood at a longer distance, his hands in a surrender. She was trembling fiercely, and her teeth were chattering. Professor Dumbledore tried to reach out to hold onto her but she moved backwards. She didn't want to be touched. She didn't want to be near anyone. She didn't want to think. It felt as though her whole body was reacting to what she had just seen. Her whole body hurt. She couldn't even cry. "Please don't touch me!" she cried. Snape nodded and moved even farther back but Dumbledore kept trying. He reached out to her again and grabbed her wrist lightly in his hand. She recoiled. It felt like he was burning her.  
"Severus, you need to help me get her to the bed." He directed softly. It took Snape a moment to process what the headmaster had said but he began to move toward her. "No!" She cried, "Please don't touch me!" But she felt strong arms close around her. She was in shock. She heard the sound of glass shattering from the kitchen, pots clanging together, and something fell on the floor. Her body went limp, as it had in the memories, and she waited to feel herself pressing into the bed. When she was safely tucked in. She curled herself up into the smallest ball that she could, and she lay there. She didn't think. She could not move, cry, or feel anything. Rosie just lay there.


	9. Chapter 9

Severus sat with Albus for a while in silence. The headmaster had asked Minerva to take over the leadership of Hogwarts for the day so that he could deal with this matter. The girl had not moved from the fetal position in his bed. Severus was not sure that showing her what had happened all at once had been a good idea. Perhaps he should have let her watch one memory at a time. Albus was very concerned about the mess that Potter had made in the kitchen. When Severus' had picked her up to move her, it seemed as though her magic had lashed out and wrecked some of his kitchen things. He wasn't worried, but Albus… The headmaster was positively fretting. Now, as they sat together in the living room trying to decide what the next step should be, Albus spoke up. His voice was calm, but he was visibly upset.  
"Severus. I have seen this before. This is exactly what I was afraid would happen." He whispered.  
"Albus, give her time. You saw what happened, anyone would be reeling. She's a child, she is resilient."  
"No, Severus, that recoil in her magic, I'm afraid that it won't fade over time."  
"What are you talking about Albus?" Severus asked incredulously.  
"My dear boy, poor young Rose is not the only child that I have seen this happen to."  
"I have seen this before as well Albus. I have been the head of Slytherin for over 10 years. This is not the first rape to occur on the premises."  
"Yes, but Severus… have you ever seen one this bad? Have you ever seen a reaction like this?"  
"No, I haven't" admitted Severus. It was true. There had never in his time been another incident of a professor behaving this way, or for such an extended period of time. He had seen things like this pass between students, but this time it felt very sinister.  
"I have. Severus, my younger sister… When she was the same age as Rose is now, she was attacked in the same manner by five muggle boys in our neighborhood."  
Severus' eyes widened. It was rare for Albus to share with him the details of his own past.  
"You see my boy… Ariana never got over what had been done to her. It started with just one outburst, but it never stopped. Anytime she would feel an emotion too strongly… the same thing. She'd hurt herself, she'd hurt other people. It eventually killed her Severus."  
"Albus, I had no idea."  
"It is the single greatest shame of my life. I could not protect her from herself, and I fear that the same will happen with the Potter girl. I am at a loss for answers. Ariana was the one person I could never save."  
"Albus, I sympathize, but this girl, she is not your sister. This is Potter. She is a pig-headed, stubborn, optimistic child. She is as careless as her father. She'll shake it off."  
"Severus. Rose is nothing like her father. She has no memory of James. If anything, I find her to be very much like Lily."  
That made Severus cringe. "Don't. Albus." He barked, and just like that, the conversation had ended.  
The Potter girl stayed in bed for days. Albus had left him in charge of her care. He was going mad. They had decided to have Potter stay with him for the duration of the Christmas break. Her friends had been informed that she had fallen ill. It had been three days since the girl had seen the memories, and she was still non-responsive. Every time Severus entered the bedroom where she lay, she screamed. She thought that he was Lockhart, she flinched when he'd look at her. He felt as though he had made a grave error, that maybe Albus had been right. She hadn't eaten, she hadn't showered. Each day Severus had been forced to get her out of bed, bring her to the bathroom, pull down her pajamas pants and force her to use the toilet. He was afraid if she didn't, she would end up with a bladder infection. This obviously made the girl hysterical. Her magic had been erratic. She would cause things to fall. She'd created a crack in the bathroom mirror that morning when he took her in there. Severus couldn't bring himself to put her in the shower even though she needed one. He had already done enough to hurt her. Just a week ago he had comfortably been able to hate the girl from a distance. Now, she had been thrust upon him for an undetermined amount of time.  
It came as a relief when Albus had informed him that Lockhart had gone. The staff and students would be puzzled in the new year, but Severus knew that he would not be able to look at that man again without picturing his memories. It was night time again and he tried to get comfortable on the couch and rest; but every time he closed his eyes, he watched the same scenarios play out in his head. The same scenarios that Potter must be reliving over and over again in his own bed in the other room.


	10. Chapter 10

Rosie's mind was beginning to unfog. She had spent the past few days lost in her own thoughts. Her body felt like it wasn't her own. Every time she wanted to get up, or to move, she felt something pressing her down again. She could see other Rosie's face in her head, contorted in pain. Professor Lockhart's hands pushed her down. She was having a hard time connecting what she saw happen to the other Rosie, with her own body. She felt the pain but it wasn't her own memory. She felt so helpless. After several days, and a small bout of courage, Rosie decided to get out of bed on her own and take a shower. She sat up in bed and swung her legs over the side, then shakily, she tested her feet. The first time she tried to stand, she felt her knees buckle beneath her. The second time she felt a little bit stronger. When Rose reached the shower, she stripped off her pajamas and turned the water on as hot as she could stand it.  
She felt the burn as she entered into the stream but she was just relieved to feel something. She took the cloth from the side of the tub and began to scrub her skin clean. She scrubbed and scrubbed until her skin felt raw. When she finally finished her shower, Rose still felt dirty. Realizing that she had no other clothes but the now smelly pajamas, Rosie started by re-braiding her hair with the towel on. She brushed her teeth and then took a long look in the mirror. It was cracked now. She wondered who had done that. Her eyes look large on her face. Her stomach growled for food. Not able to bring herself to put on the old pajamas again, she made sure that the towel was wrapped around her whole body, covering the redness of her skin, and stepped out into the living room. Snape had already seen her naked one thousand times over now with no reaction, so she felt like it would be alright.  
As the room came into focus, she saw Snape's body stretched out uncomfortably on the longest couch. His feet still hung off the edge. She couldn't tell if he was asleep, but she didn't want to wake him if he was. She was pretty sure he had been coming in to her room to take care of her over the past few days.  
"Professor Snape?" Rosie whispered into the dark.  
Almost instantly, the man shot out of his slumber, stood up, and turned to face her. "Potter. You're out of bed." He noted calmly. She nodded, and tried to fix her towel so that it covered all of her. He realized that she had taken of the purple pajamas and he held out his hand.  
"Wait there Potter, I will make you some more pajamas." He ordered.  
Snape disappeared into another small room on the other side of the flat and within a few minutes he returned with something pink in his hands. He handed her the pajamas and she went back into his bedroom to change. She unfolded them and realized that he had decorated these ones with white owls. That seemed awfully nice of Snape. She was still very uncomfortable with the sudden personality change, but for now, she accepted the pajamas as a welcome modification. They fit the same as the previous pajamas. When she was ready, she went back out to the living area and found Snape in the kitchen putting together something to eat. She sat down at the table as he finished. It looked as though he was making eggs. He put some fruit next to the eggs, placed the plate down on the table, and sat down in the chair opposite hers.  
"Eat." He commanded. Next to the food he left a giant glass of water full to the brim.  
"Is this where you live?" Rosie asked. She regretted asking such a stupid question as soon as she did.  
"It is Potter." He replied. Her professor looked like he wanted to say something else, but he stayed silent.  
The silence grew thicker as Rosie continued to eat until suddenly Snape interrupted with another question. "How are you feeling?"  
Rosie hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should tell the truth or not. Being honest seemed like the best course of action. She was still not certain that Snape couldn't read minds yet to outright lie. "I feel… dirty." She replied slowly.  
He responded with a solemn nod. "Role up your sleeve."  
"Why?" she asked nervously.  
"Just do it Potter." Rosie did as she was told. She rolled her sleeve up to reveal her red, blotchy skin, sensitive from the shower heat and the excessive scrubbing.  
"Hm. That's what I thought. You cannot do this to your skin." He stated point blank.  
"Sorry." She replied, ashamed. Snape could sense her discomfort. "No Potter, I'm sorry. I noticed that something was wrong a long time ago and I did not say or do anything."  
"You did?" She asked incredulously.  
"Yes. I saw the bruises on your arm, and on your neck. I thought maybe you had an older boyfriend. I did not explore it, and for that I am ashamed."  
"An older boyfriend?" Rosie began to feel sick again. Her breathing became shallow, she was thinking about the memories again. She took her hands from the plate and started to wring them together. Reality was fading and her mind felt farther and farther away.  
"Potter."  
She didn't respond.  
"Potter." He repeated.  
He reached out and touched her arm. "Rose." Snape repeated. That brought her back to reality. She had never heard Professor Snape use her first name before. "Sorry." She said meekly. "Every time I start to feel something, or … remember, I just go away. I don't know how to stop it."  
"Understandable. I might be able to teach you to stop it if you'd like Potter."  
"You can? How?"  
"Do you recall when you came to my office to confess your fears?"  
Rosie wondered what kind of question that was. Of course, she remembered. She didn't answer right away, staring at the man.  
"Indeed I can read your mind Potter. That was a superfluous question, you are correct."  
Rosie noticed with a shudder that Snape tried to crack a small smile. He must be really trying to make her feel better. That had been exactly what she'd been thinking. "Wait, you can actually read minds?"  
"That is the discipline I would like to teach you."  
"what do you mean?"  
"Potter, have you ever heard of the branch of magic called occlumency?"  
"No, Professor."  
"Occlumency, is the art of protecting your mind, controlling your thoughts, and blocking unpleasant memories from arising. It also serves to keep your mental faculties organization and to control your emotions."  
"Oh, you're going to teach it to me? Is that what you are saying? What does that have to do with mind reading?"  
"Occlumency has a sister discipline called Legilimency, a subject that I know well. Legilimency is the process of accessing other people's thoughts, kind of like mind reading. It is only possible with direct eye contact."  
"That's how you have been reading my thoughts."  
"Yes, that is the explanation.  
"Can I learn both? Many if I could've read his thoughts this would never have happened…" Rosie trailed off.  
"Potter. Nothing that you did or didn't do made this happen. I will teach you whatever you want to know, but I don't want to ever hear you think that way."  
"How can you be sure professor?"  
"Potter, there are dynamics of power that should never be abused. One of those dynamics is adult and child, another is professor and student. The power was all his as it would be if it were anyone else. You are a child and he is an adult."  
"Like you." Rosie rebounded. "You pick on me all the time and you use your power as a professor to give me detention when I don't deserve it."  
Rosie could tell that she had hit a nerve because Snape growled hit his hand down on the table causing a loud bang. Rosie shrieked and flinched back. She got up quickly from the table and scurried back into Snape's room flinging the door closed and covering herself with the duvet. Rose had forgotten for a moment about everything that had happened, but she realized in that moment that nobody was a safe person anymore. She was all that she had.


	11. Chapter 11

Rosie heard a loud bang from outside the bedroom. There was a tension building up inside of her, the pressure inside her body, inside her mind was so intense that she felt as though she might explode. She couldn't hear or see. Snape was right. There was a balance of power and Rosie was at the bottom of it. She had always been bullied, by Voldemort, her family, Snape, other students, now Lockhart. She couldn't do this anymore, she couldn't take it. The pressure pounded behind her eyes and suspended her stomach. Suddenly, and with unparalleled force, both lamps that were set on the bedside tables on either side of her exploded. Their bulbs broke and glass shattered everywhere. The lamps flew off the tables and into the wall across from where she sat. Rosie lay in the glass afraid to move. The noise brought Snape into the room. She could see from the corner of her eye that his hand was bloody. Did he punch the wall because of what she had said?  
"Potter! What happened?" He demanded, rushing over to where she sat on the bed and moving straight for her forehead.  
"I don't know what happened" She cried reaching up to touch the glass in her face. "I just got so scared, or angry, I don't know!" Rose was sobbing and Snape was whispering some sort of incantation.  
The glass began to clear itself away, and when it did, he took a seat in front of her on the bed.  
"Hold still Potter." Snape ordered, holding his wand in one hand and reaching for her head with another.  
"No! don't touch me, please!" She cried.  
"Potter relax." He said firmly. She continued to cry and flinch away from his attempts to heal her wound.  
"Rose." He used her name. "Lay down and stop moving now."  
Rosie didn't know what it was but something about him using her first name made her calmer. She did as she was instructed and laid down on the bed. He only took a moment to close the wound and when she opened her eyes, he was still sitting next to her. Her green eyes met his black, and she realized at that moment just how big Snape really was. He towered over her even sitting down. She realized with a pang of nerves that he could do anything he wanted to her. She would be powerless to stop him. The man studied her carefully, keeping her gaze locked with his.  
"No Potter. I know that how I have behaved with you in the past hasn't been fair. I have abused the dynamic of power, but I would. never. do that. to you. Do you understand me?"  
"I looked in your eyes, didn't I?" She realized that he had heard her inner dialogue. Snape nodded. "I am not a good man Potter, but I have never done anything like that to anyone."  
"Why do you hate me so much?" She asked innocently. She stared up at him. In her head she asked clearly, "What did I do?" Rosie was beginning to understand that Snape was more relaxed around her when she gave him this look. Snape gave a long sigh.  
"Potter, it has been a very long day, and now it is the night. You have a lot to process still. I am not about to add to your burden. Please go to sleep. Tomorrow we can start with basic occlumency training."  
"And Legilimency?" Rosie wondered.  
"Fine." Snape replied.  
"Will you be here if I wake up Professor?" Rosie asked and he nodded. He got up from the bed and left the room. It was darker than usual, because of the lamps.  
Rosie slept through the night, but she dreamt of him. She dreamt of him and she woke up gagging. When she arose the next day, her braid was still in tact from the night before. She left it in, brushed her teeth, and went out to the kitchen with the owl pajamas still on. Rose wasn't sure if she would ever be allowed to wear clothes again. Rosie didn't know how it was possible, but she was feeling pain in her private area again. She thought that maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her, or a product of her dream, but it hurt just like it had before. It had hurt everyday since she had seen the memories. She didn't tell Snape though. She was still so embarrassed. When Rosie made it into the kitchen, she saw that Professor Snape was cooking something. He had his sleeves rolled up, and his cloak off. She approached from behind and he turned around when he heard her enter. The first thing that Rosie noticed when he turned around was a large tattoo that covered his left wrist. It was some kind of serpent. As soon as Rosie laid eyes on it, her scar stung like alcohol on a wound. She reached up to cover it with her hands.  
"Ah!" Rosie cried out, startled. "What is that?!"  
Snape quickly rolled down his left sleeve and came over to where she stood. "Show me your scar."  
She lifted her hand from her forehead and revealed to him the lightning bolt. He examined it carefully. "Professor, what kind of tattoo is that?" Usually my scar only hurts around… you know… things that have to do with Voldemort."  
"Don't say that name Potter. It's nothing. Forget about it." He said dangerously.  
Rosie realized that she was not going to get him to tell her, so she changed the subject. "Professor, what happened to Professor Lockhart? Is he still here at Hogwarts?"  
Snape stopped what he was doing and looked at her. "He is gone."  
"Ok good. Can I tell you something?"  
Snape stared at her surprised. "Yes… of course you may."  
"Ok but you need to do that legilimency thing again because I don't want to say it."  
"Potter." Snape sighed loudly. "Haven't we passed this by now?"  
She just stared up at him.  
"Fine." He moved closer to her and looked her in the eyes. She showed him in her mind what she had dreamt, the gagging, and the pain that she was still having. The whole time, Snape kept his expression neutral.  
"Maybe we should get you looked at by a mediwitch." He reasoned.  
"Will you go with me?" she asked. He rolled his eyes and nodded again. "Yes Potter, I will take you to the mediwitch."  
"After occlumency training?" She asked again.  
"Potter you will be the death of me. Eat your breakfast so that we can get on with it then."  
When Rosie finished her breakfast, she went and sat down on the couch. She patted the other end motioning for Snape to come over and sit. He was reluctant at first, but resigned because she looked at him again the way she was learning to do.  
"Ok, teach me." She said.  
"Occlumency is a very slow process Potter, it doesn't take just one lesson."  
"Well we have to start somewhere no?" she contradicted.  
"The first step is to think of a specific emotion provoking memory Potter." He warned.  
"Ok done." Rosie replied.  
Snape looked at her incredulously. "Alright then Potter. You need to close your eyes, and imagine the memory. Then, imagine that you are building walls around it. Can you picture that?"  
"Yes professor."  
"Alright, tell me when you have your memory contained in the walls."  
Rosie held her eyes shut for a moment and the nodded. "Ok, I'm ready."  
Snape shook his head. "Now open your eyes, and look directly at me, thinking about the walls that you have built, and I will try to break them down."  
She opened her eyes and stared up at him. He stared back, that intense look on his face, and she could feel a tickle in the back of her mind. Rosie pictured the walls as hard as she could in the front of her mind. Just as soon as she felt the tickle though, she began to feel the walls collapse. Suddenly, the memory flooded her senses. She felt the pain of the punch, and she saw Dudley laughing over her as she fell to the ground. The tickling sensation stopped, and she could tell that Snape had pulled back. "Good job Potter. That was not exceptional, but it was not abysmal either. What was that memory?" He added.  
"Oh, it was just something from when I was little." She dismissed. She tried several more times to keep Snape out of her mind with little success. However, he seemed to think that she was making progress.  
"Professor, is it my turn yet?" She whined impatiently. "I was to try legilimency."  
Her professor closed his eyes in agitation. "Potter, today you will have one chance and one chance alone do you hear me?" She nodded in agreement.  
"Now, you are not a silent spell caster yet, so you need to take out your wand, point it at me and say the spell "legilimens." Rosie took out her wand.  
"Remember to look directly in my eyes, and think about moving into my head."  
Rosie did as she was told, she pointed her wand at him, stared up into his face with her big green eyes, and said the spell.  
Instantly, she was taken from where she was into a large black cavern. She could see in the distance a large fortress wall and she ran towards it. When she arrived, she knocked at the sides. She ran up against it, and she shouted at the gate, but she could not open it. She became bored quickly, and she decided to pull away from the fortress. As she made her exit from Snape's mind, something came at her from the side. It was the image of a young woman, actually, Rosie thought it was herself but then she realized that the woman had red hair, not brown. She only got a momentary glimpse before she was sucked back onto the couch.  
Snape was glaring at her when she returned. "Wow professor! I couldn't get in at all!" she shouted. "But who was that woman beside me?" Rosie wondered out loud. "She looked very familiar."  
Her professor was staring at her in shock. "Potter, you did not recognize the women that you saw in my mind?" He asked in disbelief.  
"No… she answered. Should I have?"  
"Potter, that was your mother." He replied, stunned.


	12. Chapter 12

Severus had a headache. The Potter girl had been up and down since the night before. She would cry and scream, she broke things. Sometimes she was afraid of him, sometimes she was playful with him. It all felt wrong. She wanted nothing to do with Severus, and then the next moment she wanted to go into his mind. He couldn't let his guard down without her asking thousands of questions. What did it matter to her about his tattoo? Severus was exhausted. He had not slept in days and Albus had all but abandoned them. Not to mention, the headmaster had been right, the girl was still having magical outbursts, not as frequently as the emotional ones, but often enough for it to be concerning. He couldn't believe that she had equated his bullying to what Lockhart had done. That had made him feel like scum. Severus understood the connection that she had made, the abuse of power. It still had made him feel sick. As if it hadn't been bad enough already, he had to behave the way that he did. He made her scream. She broke the lamps because of what he did. He had used forced the frighten her to silence. Severus knew that he was a monster, but he had never realized just what he was capable of.  
Everything seemed to be happening at the wrong time. Relief had washed over him when Potter had come out of the bedroom that morning smiling and teasing him. She had come to him again to confess her feelings, she confided in him. It had made Severus feel less bad for what had happened the night before. Of course that couldn't last. He could not believe how stupid he had been. He had let looking into Potter's eyes remind him of Lily while she had been in his head. Even worse, the child didn't recognize her own mother. He could almost feel the sadness that was surely radiating off of Lily from beyond the grave. He had to tell her, but he knew that it would open a can of worms.  
Severus looked into her big green eyes as she stared up at him and asked, "Really? That was my mom?"  
"It was." He replied with a sigh.  
"Why was she in your mind Professor? Did you know her?" The little girl asked hopefully.  
"I did Potter." Severus could almost see the child light up. He wanted to die.  
"Oh please professor, please tell me about her. Everyone… they always talk about my father, but I have always wanted to know about my mom." She begged.  
Severus' heart clenched. He closed his eyes and brought up his strongest barriers, the ones he used in his days as a death eater.  
"Your mother…Lily and I grew up in the same neighborhood Potter." He confessed, his voice strained." Potter paid no mind to his obvious discomfort and squealed with excitement.  
"You did?!" She shouted. "Were you friends? Do you know what her name was before she married my father? Do you know my Aunt Petunia?" She asked those three questions in that order, in one breath. Severus felt regret seeping into his veins. He should never have admitted to knowing her.  
"Yes Potter, we were friends… for a time. Her name was Lily Evans, and yes, I did have the great misfortune of knowing your Aunt Petunia, and her horrid husband."  
"Wait…but if you were friends, and you knew Uncle Vernon, then you had to have still been friends as teenagers, at Hogwarts!" Severus wanted to crawl in a hole.  
"We were Potter. We were friends for a long time."  
The girl was now positively squirming with elation. Suddenly, they both heard a crash from the kitchen. A handful of glasses flew across the room and broke as they hit the wall on the other side leaving a dent where they had hit. The girl's elation quickly turned into fear, and she stared and Severus. "Did I do that?" She asked him meekly. He held out his hand to prevent her from getting up, and he went over to the kitchen and quickly cleaned up the mess.  
When he returned, Potter had her head on her knees and she was staring off into space. Her tiny frame appeared even smaller as she shrank herself into the corner of the couch.  
"Potter, look at me." He tried. She looked right through him. He groaned internally. "Rose, look at me." He repeated using her name. He didn't know why this always worked, but it did. The girl lifted her head and looked at him. "This is natural Potter." Snape lied through his teeth. "When a witch or wizard experiences a trauma this can happen, but it will go away. You just have to give your magic time to heal from what happened." Severus sounded so convincing that even he almost believed what he said.  
"Now." He tried. "Do you want me to talk about your mother or do you want to talk about Lockhart?" The girl cracked a small smile and replied, "My mother please."  
"What do you want to know?" Severus questioned. He couldn't decide what sounded less appealing to him, talking about his friendship with Lily to Potter, or talking about child rape again with Potter.  
"Everything. She said. What was my mom like? Was she nice? Was she good? What did she do?" She asked quickly. Severus noted that she had already overcorrected for what had just happened. He could see her strain to keep her excitement level low.  
"If you are ever unsure about what your mother was like Potter, all you have to do is look at yourself." Severus cringed internally. He hated to admit it, but it was the truth. Potter reminded him so much of Lily it was sometimes unbearable. Potter's eyes widened when he said that. "She was happy and full of energy, but she was also very sheltered and naïve, as you are. She was a Gryffindor, which made her extremely foolish, but she had an optimism about life, and she put her trust in anyone who allowed her to, even when they did not deserve it. Your mother had friends of all types." Severus had made up his mind that this was all he wanted to say for now.  
The girl looked as if she might burst into tears. "Potter, reduce your emotions." He added smoothly. The child smiled in response, and before Severus could say anything else, he had his arms full of little girl. She wrapped herself around his in a hug. He was shocked, and it took all of his willpower not to flinch away or push her off of him. He still was very uncomfortable touching her. Potter didn't seem to notice though. She kept herself attached to him for longer than necessary. He tried to show support by patting her back.  
"They would be so disgusted with me now professor." She whispered to him, still clinging onto his neck. He could not handle anymore of this changing emotion. Severus was lucky if he felt one emotion all day. This girl, she felt five emotions in one minute.  
"Potter. Your parents would not be disgusted with you. Don't ever say that. You did not do anything wrong." He said plainly. He had read that rape victims tended to do this a lot, this weird masochistic blaming of themselves. Severus had seen both Lily and James Potter disgusted before, and he could not imagine either of them ever feeling that way towards this small child. In fact, he was sure that Lily would be handling this situation a lot better than Severus was right now.  
Finally, the girl set him free of the hug, and she leaned back onto the couch. He was still seated on the small table in front of her. "Potter, I think that it would be best if we keep your situation within the school, so I would like to bring you to Madame Pomfrey. Then, I would like to walk up to the headmaster's office to chat with him."  
Potter nodded, "Ok, Professor, but I don't have any clothes." She reminded gently.  
"I had your uniform cleaned a few days ago" He said pointily. "It is in the bedroom, in the drawer closest to the door."  
"Professor, I don't want to put my uniform on…" The girl reacted. It feels, dirty somehow, since he you know… well… he is all over it."  
"Potter, in a short week, you will be wearing your uniform again every single day. You need to be able to put it on. I'm sorry that it feels bad, but you have to wear it." He chided her lightly. She looked him in the eyes and pouted, but Severus looked away. He needed her to be able to return to normal after the Christmas break. He could not keep housing a Gryffindor student in his chambers. She left quietly to get dressed and Severus rubbed his temples. He was not designed for this work.  
When she came out, she was dressed but she appeared to be very uncomfortable. Let's go Potter, he commanded. He put his hand on her shoulder lightly. She flinched but then relaxed. He did not understand how this girl had just spent a solid five minutes hugging him, but flinched when he put his hand on her shoulder. They made their way towards the door and exited into the potions office and then the dungeons. The school was quiet, and the girl was calm.


	13. Chapter 13

Rosie and Snape had not encountered a single person on the way up to the hospital wing. For this she was very grateful. She had not really thought about how she was going to go back to normal after Christmas break, and the thought terrified her. For the first time in her life, she wished that she had chosen Slytherin instead of Gryffindor so that Snape could be her head of house. When they arrived, Madame Pomfrey came bustling into view with a smile on her face.  
"Well hello you two, Albus warned me that you might be coming up." She smiled. "What seems to be the problem Miss Potter?" She asked nonchalantly. Rosie stared up at Snape with a panicked expression on her face. Surely he was expecting her to do the talking. Snape nodded down at her and turned to Madame Pomfrey.  
"Miss Potter is in need of a pelvic exam, a throat exam, and a general check up today." He stated. The mediwitch furrowed her brow. "Surely, Severus, the child is not in need of a pelvic exam." She responded, confusion evident in her voice.  
"I assure you, she is." Snape said again.  
"Whatever for?" Madame Pomfrey insisted.  
"You will be made aware the moment that you conduct the pelvic exam as I have been saying." Her professor asserted. He was starting to sound cross now.  
"Alright, alright. Yes, well then… Come along with me Potter." She reached out for Rosie to follow her, but Rosie didn't want to go alone.  
"Professor?" she whimpered.  
Snape sighed so loudly that she thought he might run out of air. "I will be accompanying Miss Potter, Poppy." He stated, exasperated.  
"No, you most certainly will not be" She rebuffed. "I assure you Severus that it would be entirely inappropriate for you to accompany Miss Potter in her exam."  
Rosie was starting to tense up, she would not go alone. She would not. Before she could stop herself, Rosie burst,  
"You know what else is not appropriate Madame Pomfrey?!" She began to shout, enraged. Bedpans flew off the beds, and a medical tray crashed to the ground. Rosie caught herself lurching forward. Before she could say anything else, Snape grabbed a hold of her from behind and pulled her back.  
"Rose Potter, calm yourself this instant." He warned her. She could hear the irritation in his voice. Madame Pomfrey was appeared startled by her outburst. Rosie was trying to control her breathing. This mediwitch had no business telling her what was appropriate and inappropriate. That line had been crossed a long time ago now. Seventeen weeks ago, to be exact.  
The mediwitch did not say anything else on the subject. She must have realized that she was going to lose. They made their way over to a bed with a curtain around it.  
"Rose." She said tersely. "You need to go behind the curtain and change. Do you think you can handle that by yourself?" she quipped, giving Rosie a look. Rosie's face burned with shame.  
Snape patted her shoulder and motioned for her to go change. When she had finished, she was dressed only in one of those paper-thin hospital gowns. She sat on the examining table and said that she was done. Her professor came into the room from the side and stood up by her head. Madame Pomfrey came in from the foot of the bed.  
"Alright Miss. Potter, let's start with your general exam. Can I get you to take some deep breaths while I listen to your heart?" She asked as she place the cool instrument on Rosie's back. "Good Rose, now I am going to examine your throat." The mediwitch put her hands around Rosie's throat and push pressure down. Rosie Whimpered. "Relax Rose." Scolded the mediwitch. She ran her wand over the area and read the results.  
"It seems that you have some swelling in the esophagus Miss. Potter. We are going to give you something to bring that down. "Now can you please lay back on the table for me, touch your feet together, and bring them up to you bum." She instructed, covering Rosie with a blanket.  
"Severus, turn around." She added. Rosie did as she was told, but she was beginning to feel upset. Without warning, the mediwitch put her hands-on Rose's private part and pressed.  
"Ah, stop!" Screeched Rosie. She pulled her legs back up to where she was sitting. Snape, who had been facing the other way, turned around to look at her.  
"Potter." He cautioned. "It is just an exam." He sat down beside her head on a stool. "Sit as you were told please." Rosie repositioned herself again but her heart was fluttering with nerves.  
The mediwitch watched the interaction in confusion. "Could you inform Miss. Potter of your actions before you conduct them in the future?" Snape questioned.  
Madame Pomfrey nodded slowly. "Alright Rose, you are going to feel a bit of pressure" She tried again.  
Rosie was expecting it this time, but she did flinch and shut her eyes. "Ok, good job. Now I am just going to take my speculum, and I am going to insert it very gently. You will feel a pinch as it expands." Rosie was not okay with whatever that meant. She could feel the cold speculum start to enter her and she cried out.  
"No, don't!" She tried to turn away, but Snape held her down. Panic surged inside of her, "No, no, no, no, no!" she screeched trying to get out from under his arm. "Please, no." Rose snivelled. Madame Pomfrey was beside herself with distress.  
"What is going on Severus?" She demanded as he released Rosie. She brought her knees up to her chest, the blanket coming with her. Snape was rubbing his temples.  
"Can you just conduct an external scan?" He exhaled.  
"It is not as effective." She stated.  
"It's fine." He replied. "Just do that. Potter, lay back down." He pleaded with her.  
She laid down on the table, the blanket still covering her. Madame Pomfrey began to run her wand along her body and read lists of results. Her face was still one of distress. "Rose, has… signs of a urinary tract infection." She stated breathlessly.  
Snape nodded, "Thank you. I can treat that." And turned to Rosie.  
"Get up Potter, get dressed, let's go." Rosie thought he sounded upset. As soon as she was dressed, Snape grabbed her by the shoulder and rushed her out of the hospital wing.  
When they were alone in the hallway, Snape turned, and with an angry roar he punched the wall. Rosie screamed, stepped back, and covered herself. She felt that tension again, she couldn't stop herself, Rosie was going into a panic. She felt a surge leave her body and she saw Snape go flying across the hall. He hit against the stone and tripped forward onto his knees. Snape seemed to be alright, because he got up quickly, walked over to where Rosie had sunken down onto the floor, and sat down beside her.  
"Potter, I apologize for overestimating your composure. I thought that you could handle it." He admitted. Rosie couldn't bring herself to say anything. "I'm also sorry if I scared you again. It was not my intention."  
Rosie had so many thoughts running through her head, but all she could do was look up at Snape and whisper, "Why did he do this to me?"


	14. Chapter 14

Rosie had to go back to her dorm tomorrow. She had been with Snape for the entire duration of the Christmas holidays and tomorrow all her friends would be back, and she would be forced to face reality. She had to admit that she was terrified. Snape had promised that he would keep an eye on her, and check in. Of course, they would also have a weekly lesson in occlumency. Her nerves were highest when she thought about how unrestrained she still felt. Not a day had passed that Rosie hadn't made something fall, or broken something by accident. Her magic was still reactive to her heightened emotions and that scared her. Not to mention, she still felt deeply ashamed and embarrassed about what had happened to her. She knew that her friends would be worried sick. They had been told that she was ill and she could not handle the idea of them finding out what had really been going on. That evening, Professor Dumbledore was supposed to come over to discuss with her how she would be integrated back into the classroom.  
After the incident at the hospital wing, Snape had thought it better than Rosie just be brought back here to rest. Aside from the obvious and painful surprise that she had experienced in this past few weeks, the next greatest surprise had been Professor Snape himself. He had turned from her most hated professor to her most trusted ally. Even though he still put up pretenses, and he refused to call her by her given name, he had been there for her in ways that she never would have expected. Rosie knew that she had made the right decision in telling him her secret.  
On her last evening with Snape, he made her dinner, and they sat on his couch chatting, something she never would have been able to picture two weeks ago.  
"Do you feel ready Potter?" He asked casually.  
"No professor. I am so nervous. I don't know what to say to my friends, I don't want to hurt them."  
"You will manage Potter. Like it or not now, this is your life. It is your story."  
"I don't want this story." She sighed.  
"I know." He replied. "You know Potter, your mother helped many people through difficulty when she was your age. She was very strong, and I am sure that you have inherited that same strength from her. I believe that you will be alright." Rosie smiled wide. "Really professor?" she wondered. He gave her a solemn nod.  
In that moment, the fire in the corner of the living room flared up and Professor Dumbledore walked through smiling softly when he noticed Snape and Rosie sitting together on the couch. "Good evening." He greeted.  
"Hi Professor Dumbledore" Rosie grinned.  
"Hello Rose, what has got you so happy tonight?" He asked jovially.  
"Professor Snape was just telling me about my mother." She beamed at him.  
Dumbledore eyebrows shot up in surprise. He turned to give Snape a meaningful glance. Snape stared right through the old wizard, not a single trace of emotion left on his face.  
"The subject may have come up." He replied curtly.  
"He tells me something about her every day." Rosie confessed happily. Suddenly she felt Snape's hand on her shoulder from behind. She had turned to face Dumbledore when he came in. She glanced back and Snape to see him glaring at her. Something about that look said "Shut up Potter."  
"Well Severus, I am so glad to hear that you have been so open with Miss Potter, I am sure she has very much appreciated it." Dumbledore was smiling bigger than she had ever seen him smile.  
"Shall we get down to business?" The headmaster asked pointedly as he came to sit on the couch opposite them.  
"What business are we going to do?" Rosie asked, her voice laden with innocence.  
"Well Rose, that is up to you really." Dumbledore reassured.  
"Professor Snape will be taking over the position of defense teacher up top of potions teaching for the remainder of the year. Provided that you do not want to pursue any legal action against Professor Lockhart… the students will be told that he was needed somewhere else."  
"Ok. What's the other option professor?"  
"Well my dear, there is the option of pursuing a trial. We have very solid evidence in the form of Lockhart's own memories. He would definitely be sentenced to serve time."  
"But everybody would know?" Rosie asked meekly.  
"Yes, the trial would be public my dear." Rosie turned to look at Snape who wore a pained expression. "Professor? What do you think I should do?" She asked Snape.  
"That is not my decision Potter." He replied curtly, but he was glaring at Dumbledore. Rosie began to feel uncomfortable. "How public would it be?" She asked, but she directed the question at Snape, turning away from the headmaster.  
"Potter, you would be asked to testify on the stand in front of the Wizengamot in front of Lockhart. Then, his memories would be played publicly, either in the trial, or individually for the members."  
"Who is on the Wizengamot?" She asked.  
"I am, Rose." Dumbledore replied to her. "Yes Potter, the headmaster is on the Wizengamot, but so are a whole host of other men and women that you do not know, who will then leave that room with Lockhart's memories." Snape snapped.  
"I wish he were just dead." Rosie uttered softly, still staring up at Professor Snape. A dark expression flashed across Snape's face and Dumbledore turned his gaze to meet Snape's. His face was shrouded in warning. It felt like there was a conversation being had without her.  
"I didn't mean that you have to kill him Professor Snape." She confirmed gently.  
Dumbledore coughed, or laughed, when she said that. Rosie wasn't sure which it had been. Even Snape cracked a half smile. The tension in the room had become slightly less.  
"I don't think I want to do the trial." Rosie admitted. Snape nodded and let out the air that he had been holding in. Dumbledore did not react, but turned to Snape again and they made eye contact. Rosie realized in that moment how sleepy she was. She scooted closer to Snape and rested her head on his shoulder. Closing her eyes, Rosie felt safe and secure, her nerves for the next day were lower as she drifted into a dreamless sleep.  
Severus' face gave him away as the girl propped herself up on his shoulder and began to drift off. He had winced. Albus noticed, obviously, and shot him a small smile. "You don't have to be afraid of physical contact Severus. I know that your intentions are pure and Rose is clearly very comfortable with you." He reassured. "We both know what you are capable of Severus, and I have full faith and confidence in your intentions with the girl."  
"It is very clear that you no longer see only James Potter when you look at her." Albus grinned. "I for one, have always seen Lily."  
"Enough Albus." Severus replied, but he did allow the girl to relax further around him.  
"You think she should do the trial." He added tersely.  
"I do." The headmaster admitted. "To be honest, I am frightened for the girl. I do not know how to help her, and I am worried that if she does not get some sort of catharsis with this, that he magical outbursts will continue."  
"Imagine her in a trial Albus." Severus countered. "She can't even have an argument without breaking something, how do you think she would fair seeing his face? How do you think she would react the first time that Draco Malfoy comes along to tease her about it?"  
"I do see your point Severus." Albus conceded. "Are you confident that you will be able to take on two sets of classes and keep up with Rose?" He asked Severus gently. "Of course, I am." He glared back.  
"Good. I have already arranged for a new defense professor beginning next September."  
"Who?" Severus asked. He had still been hoping to take over the position himself, but he knew that Albus would never allow it. Something about a curse. Albus just stared back at him.  
"Tell me who it is." He demanded.  
Albus closed his eyes. "Remus Lupin." He said.  
Severus reacted forcefully. He lurched forward and put his hand on his knee. The girl stirred and whimpered. She was waking up. He tried to slow his breathing as he repositioned her so that she was more secure. Albus had waited until this moment to tell him. He was defenseless because the girl was keeping him still.  
"You are bringing a werewolf into the school to teach defense against the dark arts to children?!" Severus spat.  
"Severus. You need to calm down. Remus is completely under control. It would help him immensely to keep his control if the wolfsbane potion were made available to him."  
Severus' glared deepened. "I know that you will help me with this Severus." He knew that he would as well, but that didn't mean he had to like it.  
Albus had obviously come to tell him this today because when he was sure that Severus would help him, he got up to leave. "I will show myself out" he smiled. "I wouldn't want to disturb you or Rose." Severus grimaced and nodded. When the headmaster had gone, Severus leaned back and rested his head on the arm of the couch. Before he could spend too much time thinking about what a horrible idea Remus Lupin was, he drifted off into sleep alongside the girl.


	15. Chapter 15

When Rosie awoke, she was laying on top of her professor who was still asleep. Her cheeks burned and she was to nervous to move. She was scared that she would wake him and that he would see how they had slept. She decided to just lay there until he woke up and moved her. Rosie could feel Snape's breathing, long and slow. He seemed to be relaxed. He did not snore. Rosie had never been this close to another person…that she could remember anyways. She closed her eyes again and rested her head back down on his chest. She hoped that he would wake up soon.  
It seemed like forever before she felt Snape stir beneath her. She quickly closed her eyes and feigned sleep. She heard his groan and sigh and she could tell that he had opened his eyes because he said "Oh Merlin," quietly under his breath. He too had realized their predicament. She could feel herself start to shift and she vowed to keep her eyes shut. Snape was able to maneuver her onto her side, but before he could snake his way out of their embrace, she felt herself falling. Her first instinct was to grip onto Snape's sleeve and they both tumbled to the floor. Snape landed on top of her and she opened her eyes and yelled out "Eek!"  
Snape's face was inches form her own, and his weight was crushing her. She felt a sudden panic at the weight on top of her and she felt something coming to a head inside of her. A memory… her mind replaced Snape's face with Lockhart's. She had mistaken his weight as her defence professor, and she could feel the panic beginning to build in her chest. "No, get off me!" She cried and she tried to push his weight off. Something crashed in the background.  
Snape was up off the floor in an instant. He helped her to stand up, and tears pricked in Rosie's eyes.  
"Potter, I did not mean to …"  
"I know." She breathed shakily before he could finish. "I think I remembered something that was erased…" Rose told him.  
"Show me." Snape commanded, puzzled. Rosie looked up into his eyes and played the memory over in her mind. Snape nodded as he watched.  
"I'm sorry Potter, but that memory is not real." Snape sighed. "Once those memories have been taken, the only person who can return them to your is the same one who took them. I think your imagination has taken what you have seen in his memories and projected it on to yourself."  
"It was my imagination?" she asked.  
"You more than likely have that same memory locked away in your mind, and you're compensating for the loss by filling in the blanks." He explained gently.  
"Oh." She responded.  
"This does not mean that your feelings are not valid Potter. They are. You are allowed to feel those things without having the memory of it. We both know what happened to you."  
"I'm sorry." She apologized to Snape.  
"You haven't done anything wrong." He responded seriously.  
Snape made her eat something before she got dressed in her uniform for the day. The returning students were to be expected on the incoming train within half an hour and she had promised to meet her friends in the great hall the moment that they arrived. Rosie finished her breakfast, got dressed, and did her hair pulling it back into a long ponytail. She looked up at her professor and he motioned for her to come closer. He knelt down to face her and tilted her chin up.  
"Rose Potter, you will be fine today. Keep your emotions in check and send for me if you need. Check in this evening. I am expecting you at seven o'clock sharp." He informed her sternly.  
"I will professor, I promise." She said with a small smile. "Thanks for everything." She added. With that, Rosie lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Snape's midsection in a hug. He patted her back.  
"Potter, this is foolish. I'm going to see you in class twice today and this evening. Run along now." He chided, but he was smirking.  
She left quickly through the door to Snape's chambers and then through the potion's office. Rosie ran up the stairs as fast as she could because she was beginning to hear sound in the great hall. When she arrived at the ornate doors that indicated her arrival, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and entered. The great hall was buzzing with activity as usual, and as soon as Rosie came into view, her friends ran towards her.  
"Rosie Potter!" Shrieked Hermione, "You have had us beside ourselves with worry all break!"  
"Yeah you couldn't send any letters?" Added Ron as he embraced her.  
"I'm so sorry was so sick! I just came out of the hospital wing a few days ago. I am still very weak." Rosie lied easily.  
"Thank Merlin you're ok Rosie!" Hermione cheered. "Are you hungry? Breakfast would be good for you."  
Rosie was not hungry, she had already eaten but she followed her friends over to the long table anyways to nibble on a bit of sausage. They were telling her excitedly about their adventures over the break. Hermione had gone skiing with her parents and Ron had stayed in, but he was happy because his family had pooled money to buy him a broom. It was a Cleansweep 360. That was right below Rosie's nimbus. She had not felt much like flying lately. She was very happy for Ron though. As they settled into breakfast, Rosie eyes the staff table where Snape sat, and her eyes moved over to the empty spot the Lockhart had occupied previously. Her heart fluttered nervously. Before she could think too much about it, Dumbledore stood up at the head of the hall to make an announcement.  
"Welcome back everyone!" His voice boomed.  
"I hope that you have all thoroughly enjoyed your holidays and that you are ready to begin the second term of classes. We have a few changes that will be taking place in this semester. Firstly, Professor Lockhart, has chosen to pursue other interests this term and has left his post as Defence Professor." Dumbledore relayed calmly. Some students cheered, some students booed. Ron turned to Rosie and Hermione and mouthed "Thank Merlin!"  
"On that note…" The headmaster continued. "For the time being until September, Professor Snape will be filling the post along with regular potions classes." He added. There was a collective silence that fell across the hall. Rosie knew that everybody wanted to boo him but they were scared to. Hermione let out a sigh, and Ron looked frustrated. "Well, that ruins defence class then." He stated. Rosie said nothing. She just nibbled on her sausage. From the staff table, she could feel Snape's eyes burning into her skull before she even looked up. He was obviously trying to gauge her emotional state. Rosie thought that she was doing fine right now. "Snape is staring at you." Ron whispered to Rosie.  
"He is probably just thinking that I am not ready to be in classes yet." She replied.  
"What do you mean?" Asked Hermione, confused.  
"He kind of took care of me while I was sick over the holidays." Rosie responded.  
"What?" She heard both of her friends gasp collectively.  
"Yeah, he made sure that I was alright and checked in on me everyday." She added to sound more convincing. "I think Dumbledore forced him to, but he wasn't so mean to me."  
Her friends gave her incredulous looks but continued on with their breakfast.  
"So, what did you have anyways?" Hermione wondered.  
Before Rosie was forced to lie again, everyone decided to get up at that exact moment to head to their first classes. In the hustle and bustle Hermione forgot to grill Rosie for answers and they headed towards their first class of the day, which was potions. Rosie did not know what she had been expecting from class with Snape after the holidays but she realized quickly that it was not going to change much. He did not call on her at all during the class, probably because he was nervous that she would explode into a magical disaster, but he did keep his eyes trained on her for the classes' entirety. Rosie was not the only one that noticed the staring. Hermione gave her a funny look each time that she caught his eyes lingering.  
Hermione most likely thought that Snape was being creepy, but Rosie didn't know what she would do if he wasn't watching over her. She was nervous that if he left, she would lose control, or accidently break something. She knew that Snape understood this as well because he followed them to the door when class had ended and watched silently as they walked up the stairs.


	16. Chapter 16

Transfigurations class was the first time that Rosie had practiced voluntary magic since finding out what had happened to her. Her wand felt foreign in her hand and she did not feel the same feelings of control that she that she had felt before. Their object was to turn a feather into a bird, and Rosie had set the feather on fire three times. The fourth time, the feather had stayed the same, but she had broken a vase on McGonagall's desk. Nobody had realized that it was her, but she knew. Hermione kept shooting her concerned glances because Rosie was usually pretty spot on with her magic, she knew her friend was already starting to see through her. Even Neville had managed the transfiguration. When McGonagall came around to inspect their work, Hermione did the spell under her breath so that Rosie did not have to show her professor an unfinished job.  
"Thank you!" Rosie whispered, embarrassed. Hermione just stared at her. "What is going on Rose?" She shot back.  
On the way to defense, Hermione grilled her again. "Rosie, what were you sick with?" She asked again. "Dragon flu." She replied cautiously.  
"Oh ok, do you think that it depleted your magic a bit?" Her friend questioned. "I've read that long-term sickness can do that."  
Rosie nodded, "Yeah that makes sense!" She replied hoping to quell the topic.  
During defense class, they were supposed to pair up and practice shield charms, but Snape claimed her to be his partner much to the surprise of her classmates. He had brought her over to the corner of the class ad practiced with her while the rest of her peers practiced with each other. Rosie was thankful for this because her shield charm was perfect, but along with the shield came other effects. At one point, her shield charm turned into a shield and disarming charm, which knocked Snape back a few feet much to her chagrin. She was beginning to grow really frustrated and her professor could see it. He chose this moment to end the class and began to lecture again on the different types of shield charms. Rosie felt like such a burden. Her professor seemed to be doing everything for her sake today, and her friends were very put off by it.  
"Rosie it's really weird to see Snape being nice to you." Ron blurted out after the class had finished.  
"I know, it was pretty uncomfortable at first, but I'm getting more used to it." She responded smoothly.  
"Well, I'm not used to it." He threw back.  
That evening, when it was time for Rosie to check in with Snape she headed down to the dungeons in high spirits. She felt that today had gone pretty well even though she was still performing terribly in class, she had not injured anybody today. She had not been injured, so Rosie considered that a success. As she turned to corner that would lead her toward the Slytherin common room, she froze. There, in front of her by the stairs was Collin Crevey, a first year Gryffindor. He was lying face up on the floor stiff as a board, his camera in hand in front of his cold expression. Above Collin was the icy shadow of Nearly-Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. He was suspended in the air, his head hanging low, his face expressionless. Rosie wanted to scream, but she could not produce any sound. She was close to Snape's office, so she crept by the petrified people and ran towards safety. Rosie did not stop to knock as she entered her professor's familiar space. He looked up casually from the desk.  
"Good evening Potter." Snape greeted.  
"Professor, you have to come, something's happened!" She relayed panicked. Snape was up in an instant, "What happened?" He barked as he moved towards the door. She realized that he probably thought that she had done something. Rosie pulled him towards the hallway where she had found the boy and the ghost. When Professor Snape laid eyes on the sight, her breathed a small sigh of relief. His relief quickly turned to cool control. "Alright Potter, can you please go and fetch Professor Dumbledore in his office." Snape directed. "Quickly." He added.  
Rosie took off running toward the Headmaster's office. When she arrived, Rosie blurted out the last password that she remembered and the gargoyle opened smoothly. Arriving at the door to Dumbledore's office, Rosie realized that it was already open. She could hear voices from inside. She moved to enter the room and could feel all eyes on herself. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall turned to face her, surprised.  
"Hello Rose." Started the Headmaster.  
"Professor Snape sent me." Rosie uttered breathlessly. "There are more petrified people in the dungeons."  
She had never seen her professors move so fast. "Come here Potter." McGonagall motioned for her to come forward. She grasped onto Rosie arm and pulled her towards the fire. They stepped into the green flames together followed by Dumbledore and she said clearly, "Potion's office."  
They arrived in an instant and quickly joined Snape where he was kneeling on the ground examining her classmate's body. "What are we looking at Severus?" Dumbledore questioned promptly.  
"Petrified." Snape replied. "Just like the cat."  
"And the ghost?" Asked McGonagall. "Also petrified." Though I have never seen something like this in a ghost."  
The headmaster moved the boy and the ghost up to the hospital wing, and Snape brought Rosie into his office. "Potter, I am sorry your day had to end that way." He apologized solemnly.  
"Will they be alright Professor? And Mrs. Norris?"  
"They will. We are working on a potion to bring them back, but we must wait until the mandrakes mature before we can continue." He explained.  
"Who do you think is doing this?"  
"Never you mind that Potter. Tell me, how did your first day back go?"  
"It was ok Professor. I still can't really perform magic without doing something unexpected. I kept setting things on fire in transfigurations."  
"Did you have any emotional outbursts?"  
"No, I didn't, but I didn't really feel any strong emotions either. I think my friends are bothered."  
"Granger and Weasley? Why?"  
"Well…" She started. "We all kind of hated you, and then you started acting nice with me out of the blue. They are just confused."  
"Would you rather that I was hard on you again?" He asked seriously. Rosie shook her head. "No professor." She giggled a little. "They will adjust."  
Rosie chatted for a while with the professor until it was time for curfew.  
"Alright Potter, it is late, go back to your dormitory and sleep. I will see you tomorrow." He smirked slightly.  
Rosie did as she was asked, but as she was walking back towards the common room, she heard a voice. It was a voice that she had thought was just a product of her exhaustion before the holidays… "rip… tear… kill… blood." She shivered, looking around in all directions, but she saw nothing. Rosie quickened her pace until she was almost jogging towards the safety of her dormitory. She was beginning to feel less and less safe at Hogwarts as time progressed.  
When she entered the common room through the portrait, it was empty. Almost. She caught sight of a small figure in the corner of the room. She could tell immediately that the figure was Ginny Weasley because even wet and matted as it was, her hair was vibrantly red. It looked like she was shaking. As Rosie approached, her stomach curled. The girl was crying softly.  
"Ginny?" She asked tentatively. "What's wrong? Are you alright?" The girl looked up at her and wiped her face on her sleeve trying to eliminate her tears.  
"Rose." She whispered meekly. Something about the girl's expression felt uncomfortably familiar. "Ginny, what's wrong, you can tell me." She said as she knelt down in front of her.  
"I don't know!" she cried. "What do you mean? What happened? Why are you crying Ginny?" The girl looked her in the eyes, her face was contorted in panic.  
"I think something is happening to me." She said. Rosie's heart stopped. It was just a few weeks ago that Rosie herself had said that exact line to her professor. What if Lockhart had done this to more than just her? She could barely bring herself to speak.  
"What do you mean?" she asked the girl in a barely audible whisper.  
"I can't remember anything or anywhere that I've been. Sometimes I wake up covered in blood. I can't remember parts of my day. I feel like something bad is happening. I was fine again over the holidays but it's already started again" She confessed tearfully.  
Rosie felt numb. She wanted to vomit. Her whole body was frozen in a state of shock. "Oh Ginny." She hugged the girl. They sat on the floor embracing in silence as Ginny shook.  
"I know what to do." Rosie confessed finally. "Wait here." She commanded as she dashed up the stairs. She pulled her invisibility cloak out from her trunk as quietly as possible so as not wake her sleeping roommates. As she descended the stairs again, Rosie's stomach burned with nerves. She felt like this nightmare was never-ending. She helping Ginny off the floor and wrapped her arm around the girl's waist. "C'mon Ginny, we're gonna find out what's been happening to you."  
Rosie tossed the cloak over the both of them and she began to lead her friend down towards the dungeons. "Where are we going?" Ginny asked shyly.  
"We are going to tell Professor Snape." Rosie could almost feel Ginny recoil. "No!" We can't Rose!"  
Rosie looked Ginny in the eyes and said "Trust me. He can help." She shivered as they passed the spot where just a few hours before, Collin Creevey had been petrified. As Rosie led Ginny down into the dungeons it was with the utmost faith that Professor Snape would be able to help them. This time she was not nervous as she knocked on the office door. There was however, no answer. "Rose he's probably asleep." Ginny whispered.  
"It's ok Ginny, don't worry." Rosie said as she pushed the door open anyways. She led the girl through the office and to the door of Snape's chambers knocking loudly. "Professor Snape!" she shouted lightly in the silence. They did not have to wait long before the door opened to reveal Professor Snape towering over them.  
"Miss Potter, I thought I said to go back to your common room…" He started, and then he noticed Ginny. "Potter? Is everything alright?" He asked.  
Severus stared at the two children that stood before him. Potter had brought the Weasley girl along with her to his chambers in the middle of the night. "Potter, what is going on?" He asked, trying to keep his voice even.  
"Professor, something is happening to Ginny and it sounds like what happened to me." The girl blurted out all in one breathe. Weasley turned her head to Potter her eyes full of surprise. His heart sank. They had been sure that Potter had been the only victim. He quickly composed himself and motioned for the girls to have a seat at his desk. He closed the door to his quarters and sat in the chair opposite them.  
Severus stared at the Potter girl expectantly. He was growing more concerned as the seconds dragged on. "Would you rather just show me?" He asked, his voice dripping with impatience. The girl reacted to his words and shook her head. "No, sorry professor."  
"It's alright Potter, now can you start from the beginning?" He waited for her to speak, but she looked first at Weasley and then back at him.  
"Something weird has been happening to me since I started here at Hogwarts professor and Rosie thought that you would know what to do." Ginny Weasley piped up from beside Potter, her voice was shaky.  
"Go on." He urged.  
"I can't remember anything. I have been waking up in strange places and strange times, and sometimes I wake up covered in blood, or dirt. I have been so tired."  
Severus cringed. This sounded too familiar. "Miss Weasley, when was the last incident of this memory loss?"  
"Tonight." She whispered. Severus could see that Potter hadn't been expecting that response. Neither had Severus. Now Severus was beginning to suspect something dark. He was almost certain that there could not be two perverted professors using the same tactics in the same year. Since Lockhart was gone, Severus began to wrack his brain for other options.  
"Do you mind showing me what has been going on Miss Weasley?"  
"What do you mean?" She asked, confused. Potter leaned over and whispered something in the younger girl's ear. Weasley cringed and shot her a look. Potter held her gaze as if to say 'just do it.' With that, the Weasley girl stood up and moved closer to Severus looking his square in the eyes.  
The Weasley girl staring down at the blood on her hands. The child missing charms class and waking up in a girl's loo. The girl that night waking up in the Gryffindor common room with no recollection of events.  
Suddenly Severus' brain put the pieces together. Ginny Weasley had been the one opening up the Chamber of Secrets.


	17. Chapter 17

Rosie stood in between professors Dumbledore and Snape as she watched Ginny's parents fawning and fussing over her. She felt a twinge of jealously. Ginny Weasley had been possessed by Voldemort for just a bit longer than Rosie had been hurt by Lockhart. She felt a certain comradery with the girl. They had both survived beneath the control of someone more powerful than themselves for far too long. Although Rosie felt for the girl, she was happy to have someone who could sort of understand. Even though Voldemort didn't do the same things to Ginny that Lockhart did to Rosie, she felt closer to her already. Despite her growing fondness for the youngest Weasley, in that moment, she was overcome with spite and envy. She longed for a mother to worry about her as deeply as Mrs. Weasley did for Ginny. Rosie would do anything to have her mother here with her right now. Maybe it was her rigid posture, or maybe it was the look in her eyes, but Snape sensed Rosie's discomfort and touched her shoulder lightly.  
"Come Potter. I want to show you something."  
She followed the potions professor up the stairs and into the Headmaster's office. The pensive lay exposed on Dumbledore's desk. Slowly, and with the utmost care, Snape placed his wand at his temple, and drew out a silvery liquid and placed it into the basin. Rosie stared up at him in confusion. "Follow me in." He directed easily.  
As Rosie entered the pensive behind her professor, she could not have prepared herself for what was to come.  
Snape stood in a small cemetery on a snowy street facing north. His gaze was unwavering and solemn as usual but he was much younger. His face had fewer lines and his posture was less refined, less confident. Rosie could see a figure approaching swiftly, weaving in and out of the houses and towards the graveyard. It was a woman. Actually, it was the same woman from Snape's mind. This must be her mother. Upon that realization, Rosie noticed with shock another detail that her mind had left out. In the arms of the woman was a baby. The baby was bundled up in a soft blue snow suit and the woman, her mother, held the baby, Rosie, tightly to her chest. Rosie could only see a tuft of her own hair and a rosy cheek.   
"Severus, you can't be here!" Her mother whispered hurriedly. "If James knew that I had spoken to you he'd be furious!"   
"Lily. I needed to see you, just one last time." Her professor sighed.   
"Oh Sev, it's over. We can't do this anymore, we are not friends. This isn't a game like it used to be. You have chosen your side and I've chosen mine. I have too much to lose." Her mother said as she pressed her lips against Rosie's small baby head.   
"Lily, I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to come back onto you." Snape exhaled softly.   
"Severus. Please. I will never forget all that you've taught me, but you can't come around anymore. I can't put my family at risk." Her mother's face looked pained. Snape nodded sadly.   
"Alright Lily." He replied. As her professor turned to leave, he looked back and Rosie and her mother and asked, "What is her name?"   
"Rose. Rose Potter. She is the most amazing gift that I have ever been given." Rosie's mother replied earnestly. Her mother once again picked her up and kissed her small red cheeks. Rosie could see that a few tears had escaped and were rolling down her mother's face.   
"Goodbye Severus. I will always have hope for you."   
With that, the memory finished. Rosie was once again standing in the Headmaster's office. Snape stood across from her. She hadn't noticed, but tears had begun to roll down her face. Her professor's face was solemn but even. "That was the first and only time I ever saw your mother with you Potter." He informed her softly. "this was only weeks before… she went into hiding with you." He added. In that moment, Rosie did not care about the conversation between her mother and Snape. She now forever had a memory of her mother's kiss. She could now always imagine the love that her mother felt for her. Rosie had never felt so much love and joy in her entire life. She could hear an object fly across the room and Snape moved forward to stare at her. "Potter, control your emotions." He commanded.  
"I didn't know that I needed that professor. Thank you." She whispered breathlessly.  
"You're welcome Potter." He sighed.  
The rest of Rosie's second year went as smoothly as it could possibly have gone considering the circumstances. Her magical outbursts continued, but she was able to, for the most part, regain control of her voluntary wand magic. Luckily, she made it to the end of the term without injuring anybody. She thought that maybe that was because she had not been feeling much for strong emotion lately. Honestly, she hadn't been feeling much of anything. Rosie returned to her routine, but she was still not herself. She had been distant from Ron and Hermione, who had been spending more and more time together alone. Rosie had been spending most days with Ginny. She hadn't told Ginny what had happened to her, but the Weasley girl knew that whatever it was, it was bad. They took comfort in each other's presence. She had Ginny and Professor Snape to thank for her success in regaining her classroom abilities. They had both been practicing with her a lot. Weekly occlumency lessons with Snape had been successful. She was now able to shut off her emotions most of the time. The problem with this, according to Professor Snape, was that Rosie was shutting off her emotions all the time, not just when necessary. It was for this reason that he had decided to stop the lessons altogether in her last few weeks at Hogwarts.  
In the last week of term, the familiar dread of returning to the Dursleys was beginning to set it. No matter how much she tried to suppress or quell the anxiety, it resurfaced every time. It got the point that anxiety was the only thing that Rosie felt. On the Friday before they were to be sent home, Snape came to collect her for a meeting with the headmaster. He watched her carefully and she knew that he could feel her shift in mood over the past week. When they were together with the Headmaster, Rosie was shocked to find out that she would not in fact be spending the summer with the Dursleys.  
"My dear girl. I am afraid you have suffered greatly this year, and I don't want to cause you any more turmoil by sending you back to stay with your relatives."  
Rosie sighed with relief. "Where will I go?" She asked Dumbledore politely.  
"I have arranged for you to stay with the Weasleys for the duration of the summer. Next summer we will find you a more permanent arrangement."  
Rosie smiled. She felt a twinge of hope. It was brief, but it was there.


	18. Chapter 18

Rosie Potter was enjoying her summer. She had been staying with the Weasleys now for almost a month and a half, and she was beginning to acclimatize to her new environment. June had begun rough. She had been having difficulties expressing appropriate levels of her emotions. Whenever she would express too much, she would do accidental magic. In the process of occluding her mind and masking her emotions, Rosie lost them entirely. Now, she was hovering above a shaky middle ground where her magical outbursts had depleted significantly and she was able to enjoy her time with friends. Nobody aside from Snape and Dumbledore were aware what had happened to her, but Rosie knew that the Weasleys had their suspicions. The memories of Lockhart were always in the back of her mind, but she was at a point where she was able to maintain them back there. They were not resurfacing as often.  
Rosie had spent the majority of the summer with Ginny. The girls shared a room, they shared clothes, and they shared secrets. She learned that Ginny still felt guilty for what had happened with Voldemort even after the student, cat, and ghost had been un-petrified. The two learned to cover for each other. When one was having a bad day, the other would make up for it. Rosie had also been spending a great deal of time with Ron. While he wasn't always keen on spending time with his baby sister, he could often be found hovering outside their door bored without them. While Snape had not followed through on his promise of more occlumency lessons due to Rosie's emotional repression, he did visit weekly. They usually took leisurely strolls on the paths outside the burrow. Sometimes they talked and sometimes they enjoyed the silence. He would occasionally tell her stories about her mother. Rosie had grown rather fond of her potion's professor. She was also certain that he too had become fond of her. It would be strange of him to visit so often if he were not. The other week, he had even called her by her first name for the entire duration of their visit. Her professor never mentioned Lockhart by name, but he did ask her every week specifically about her recovery. He would tease her if she mentioned the childish shenanigans that her and the other Weasley children would get up to, but she could see that it made him breathe a sigh of relief each week. While Rosie was starting to feel content, there was still a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that this was not over yet. She got this impression occasionally when she would hear a phrase, smell something familiar, or even for no particular reason. When this happened, it was as if there existed an attempted to jog a memory that had been taken from her. She would usually get a stomach-ache or begin to feel uncomfortable in these moments.  
That particular morning, the Weasley family and Rosie were going to travel to diagon alley to buy their school supplies. Hermione was meeting them for lunch and then returning to the burrow for the last week of summer. Rosie was going to meet with Snape after lunch to discuss something important and then he would be taking her back to the Weasley's in the evening. As they were eating breakfast, Ron turned to Rosie,  
"Ey Rose, what d'you think Snape wants'ta tell you today? He asked, his mouth full of food.  
"Erm, maybe he's finally gonna tell me who my new guardian will be." Rosie suggested, unsure.  
"I think it will be Snape himself." Ginny said matter of factly. Fred spit out his pumpkin juice. "Snape?" he and George burst out laughing. "That slimy git couldn't take care of a flobberworm." he added still amused.  
"I don't think it will be Professor Snape." Chuckled Rosie. "If it were going to take me in, he would have done it this summer."  
"I'll never understand what you see in him Rosie." Ron shook his head. "He was such a git to you and now you act like it never happened."  
"He's changed Ron, I told you that."  
"Are you sure you don't have him under some sort of mind control potion Rosie?" Fred questioned.  
"No!" Rosie growled back.  
"Now now children…" Molly Weasley hastened. "I think what Fred means is that nobody has ever seen Professor Snape act the way he does with you, with any other person."  
"Yeah he basically does anything you ask him to." Added Ron.  
"Wait…" George started. "Do you and Snape have a thing?" He smiled insidiously. "That's why you spend so much time walking around on secluded pathways…"  
"George! Shut up!" Ginny barked at her brother. Rosie's face burned. "We do NOT!" She huffed. She was beginning to feel frustrated.  
"Sweet innocent Rosie Potter and the angry brooding potions professor… she warms his frigid heart." Fred whispered dreamily.  
Rosie's eyes burned with tears. "stop!" She shouted. She was NOT in love with her professor. This was hitting to close to home. Snape didn't think of her like that, he promised. The twins realized that they had gone to far when several jars spontaneously combusted in the kitchen.  
"Boys! That is enough. Rose's relationship with Professor Snape is nobody's business but her own." Arthur chided. "I'm sorry Rose, my children are obviously missing their manners today."  
Luckily, Ginny stepped in to rescue Rosie from the uncomfortable situation. "Let's go get ready to go Rosie!" She changed the subject; her smile was falsely cheerful.  
When the two girls reached Ginny's bedroom, she turned to Rosie and said, "I'm sorry Rosie, I don't think they meant to make you so upset."  
"I know." She replied quietly. "Let's get dressed." Ginny added, rubbing Rosie's arm in support.  
The first stop once they reached diagon alley was Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Molly Weasley had been holding her vault key for the summer and handed it to Rosie with a smile. "Are you ok to go in by yourself?" She asked kindly. Rosie wanted to go in alone, she knew that her parents had left her more money than she would ever need, she also knew that the Weasleys had money trouble and she did not want to make anyone feel inadequate. "I'll be fine Mrs. Weasley, thank you." She replied softly. She was still thinking about the conversation at the breakfast table, her stomach in knots. Did Snape really act that strange around her? What did that mean?  
Rosie entered her vault quickly and withdrew a few handfuls of gold, shoving them into her change purse, which was charmed to remain weightless. She tucked her hair behind her ear, composed herself and left the vault to return to the Weasley family. The morning passed quickly. They stopped to pick up their required school books for their respective years. Rosie bought a new pair of quidditch gloves, she was hoping to play again this year. After that, she and Ginny accompanied Ron to buy a new cauldron because his had exploded the previous year. When everything was bought that needed to be bought, Rosie motioned for Ginny to show her what she had in her basket. She ruffled through her friend's books making sure that only the ones she had purchased were there. Ginny looked over at her and grimaced, but then smiled a little in appreciation. The Weasley's spent all summer pretending that what happened to Ginny had all been a nightmare, but Rosie knew that Ginny needed someone to acknowledge it. When it was time for lunch, Rosie accompanied the Weasley's to the restaurant just in time to welcome Hermione back. Hermione went straight for Ron and then when she was finished squeezing the life out of him, she turned to Rosie and embraced her meaningfully. Just as they were settling in, Snape appeared in the entrance way. That was Rosie's cue to leave and she waved goodbye to her friends. Her stomach was in knots all of a sudden.  
"Hi Professor." She greeted.  
"Hello Rose." He smirked. He put his hand on her shoulder as a guide, but Rosie flinched. She could feel Snape's hand tense and then move off of her. He led her to a smaller food stand and ordered her a small kidney pie with a pumpkin pasty for after. Her professor obviously had a more realistic idea of her eating capabilities than Mrs. Weasley did. As they sat down at a picnic table near to the stand, Snape turned to her,  
"Have you had an outburst?" He asked evenly. Rosie's heart jumped into her chest. She was such an idiot. This was so predictable. Cringing, she nodded at Snape.  
"What happened Rose?" He asked softly. His eyebrows shot up as Rosie's cheeks burned red.  
"Just the Weasley twins…" She started. "They were bugging me at breakfast and I overreacted." Her whole face had flushed now, a detail that did not go unnoticed by her Professor.  
"Go on." He nodded.  
"Well… it was about you." Rosie confessed meekly. Snape's brows furrowed. "They said that because you are nice to me and nobody else that we must be doing something... you know, bad." She blurted out all at once, her eyes stinging.  
Her professor's face was unreadable. "What do you think about that?" He prompted, his voice smooth.  
"I just feel so embarrassed because I don't want people to think that I would do that with my professor, and I already did once…" She replied, close to tears. "I don't want anyone to think that you are like him either… I don't want you to get in trouble professor."  
"Rose. Do you trust me?" Snape asked seriously. She nodded. "You have done nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing. You did not do anything with any of your professors. Everything that has happened was done to you. Do you understand that?"  
"I guess so." She said quietly.  
"Rose do you feel that I have overstepped as your professor?" He asked, his face was sombre and focussed. "Does anything that I do, make you uncomfortable?"  
"Well, I guess you don't feel like just my professor anymore… not really anyways… but I don't want us to do anything inappropriate. I just want things to stay like they are. I'm not uncomfortable." Rosie could feel a few tears trickle down her cheeks and she quickly wiped them away.  
"Rose." He said her name clearly so that she would focus on him. "You and I will never engage in any inappropriate behavior. I am an adult and as such, it is my duty to protect you. I will not do anything bad to you, and I would not expect anything like that from you in return."  
"Lockhart is an adult too." Rosie replied. Her throat caught. Snape sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "I know child, but you will have to trust me on this one. Can you do that?"  
Rosie nodded. She wanted to change the subject now. "Professor, why did you ask me here today?" She asked, trying to lighten up her voice.  
Snape cleared this throat and looked at her again. "Have you heard news of an escaped prisoner by the name of Sirius Black?" He spat out the name like poison. Rosie had seen that name printed across copies of the Daily Prophet all summer, of course she knew. He was a murderer that escaped the wizard prison Azkaban.  
"Yes professor." She replied.  
"Alright." He noted. It has come to the Headmaster's attention that Black might be looking for you Rose. You see, he was a supporter of The Dark Lord in his day."  
"The Dark Lord?" Rosie asked, confused.  
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named?" Snape tried again.  
"Sirius Black was a supporter of Voldemort and now he is coming after me?" She repeated incredulously. "Don't say his name." Snape cringed. "But yes. We will be placing extra protection at Hogwarts this year, and I need your word that you will not go looking for trouble. Is that clear?"  
"Yes sir." She replied earnestly. Rosie could not understand why she would go after somebody that wanted to hurt her.  
"See that you do not. Any sign of abnormality, you report it to me or the Headmaster." She could tell that it was not a request.  
"Of course, sir." Rosie promised, puzzled.  
"Good. Now finish your meal." He commanded and she could see that his mouth was upturned in a slight smirk once again.


	19. Chapter 19

After lunch with Snape, Rosie thought he would take her back to the burrow, but he did not. Instead, he led her towards a small and dingy alley off the path from the regular shops. He kept his hand on her back so that she knew where to go, but he did not explain their direction. Finally, they arrived at a run-down shop on the corner of one of the many hidden back streets. There was a sign, but Rosie could not make out the letters.  
"Professor? What are we doing here?" She asked. He gave her a strange look and said, "I thought this year I might get you a birthday present." awkwardly. Rosie had almost forgotten that she had turned 13 over the holidays. The Weasleys had made a nice meal with dessert and Molly had made her a Weasley Jumper. She had not been expecting Snape to even remember let alone buy her a present. Rosie smiled, "Thanks professor!" she said sweetly. He professor grimaced and motioned for her to go inside. The shop keeper was an elderly man with bland dress robes that were obviously very worn. His hair was grey and it stuck out in all directions. When Rosie and Snape walked in, the man became very nervous.  
"Seevveruss… Hello." He greeted, stuttering. Rosie looked up at her professor and she wondered why the older man was so frightened of him. "Do you have what I asked of you?" Snape responded curtly without a greeting. He was not using his threatening teacher voice, it was actually more menacing than that. The salesman reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small blue box. He handed it to Snape with an outstretched and shaky hand. Her professor nodded toward the man who turned away and went to the other side of the shop.  
"You may open it when you arrive at the burrow." He directed calmly.  
"Thank you." Rosie responded, her voice even, but her mind was working overtime trying to figure out what it could be.  
From the shop, Snape brought her to a series of wizard clothing stores where he had her pick out a few new pairs of robes, clothes, pajamas, and other necessities. When she asked why he was taking her shopping, he responded that in the interim until she was placed with a responsible guardian, it was his job to make sure that she had all the things that she needed.  
"Sir, do you know who my new guardian will be?" She asked at one point.  
"I do not." He replied casually, "but you will not be placed with anyone until next summer at the earliest, and you will not move in with anyone that you are not comfortable with." He assured. That was enough to quell Rosie's current concerns, and she began to relax a bit. When it was time to head back to the burrow, Snape informed her that he would be apparating and she would come as a side along. She felt nervous, she had never apparated before, and she had heard horror stories of side alongs being splinched in the process. He instructed her to hold onto his arms tightly, which Rosie did, and then she squeezed her eyes shut. It felt as though she was being pulled through a small tube. She couldn't even feel Snape beside her, but it only lasted a moment. They arrived at the burrow with all body parts in tact. The sun was just beginning to set. Rosie had enjoyed her day out, but she was eager to run upstairs and open the birthday present that her professor had given her with Ginny. She was now burning with curiosity. She waved goodbye to Snape and he apparated away, waiting until she was safely inside the burrow.  
Everyone turned to greet Rosie when she arrived, but she made a beeline straight over to Ginny and pulled her upstairs into her shared bedroom.  
"What's wrong are you ok?" Ginny worried as she turned to face her.  
"Yes, I'm fine, but Snape got me a gift and I wanted to open it with you. I didn't want anyone else to see…" Ginny nodded in agreement. "Open it!" She squealed. Taking the small blue box out of her robe pocket, Rosie lifted the lid. Her mouth fell open. Ginny's shrieked again,  
"That is so beautiful!" She cried. Inside the box lay a delicate silver locket. It had a detailed trim around the edges, and a slim chain. In the centre of the locket were the initials RLP, her initials. She took it out of the box. This seemed strange, it was indeed very pretty, but Rosie figured there must be more to it. Snape would not give her a piece of jewelry for no reason. She lifted the locket carefully and pried open the tiny clasp. Her hand came up to cover her mouth.  
"Oh." She breathed. "Ginny look."  
Inside the oval pendant was a picture of a young red-haired woman with Rosie's eyes. She was holding baby Rosie who was wearing the same blue snowsuit that she had seen in Snape's memory. The picture was a magical one, and her mother lifted Rosie to kiss her cheeks just as she had in the memory. This was incredible. Her professor had taken his own memory and turned it into a photograph. Her cheeks were wet with tears. Ginny was staring at her. "Is that your mother Rosie?" She asked, shocked.  
"Yes, it is." She replied, still a bit starstruck.  
"How did he…?" Ginny trailed off.  
"He used to know her." Rosie finished. "They were friends in school." Ginny nodded in appreciation. "I can't even imagine Snape at our age." Her friend mused. "Honestly, me neither." She giggled. Ginny helped her to put the locket on and Rosie swore that she would never take it off. She had felt closer to her mother this year than she had ever felt before. The rest of the evening was pleasant. She played wizards chess with Ron, and exploding snap with Ginny and the Twins who had apologized for upsetting her earlier. Hermione had been reading the textbooks in preparation for class, but Ron had convinced her to play a game of chess with him. Rosie was sure that there was something going on between those two.  
On the last evening before they were to catch the train the next day, Rosie was in the bathroom about the take a shower when she noticed that her white underwear was stained with bright red blood. Her cheeks burned. This time she was sure that this was her period. She did not feel the same pain as she had last year, instead all day she had felt a shooting pain in her abdomen. This made sense now. Rosie snuck downstairs to find Mrs. Weasley. The matriarch was sitting in the dining room with her husband. Rosie entered the room cautiously.  
"Mrs. Weasley?" She whispered, announcing her presence.  
The woman smiled and looked up at her. "Hello Rose, can I help you with something?"  
"Can I talk to you for a second?" Rosie asked. "In private?"  
"Of course, dear!" She said, surprised. She followed Rosie into the hallway and her face flushed.  
"Umm, Mrs. Weasley, I think I got my… you know… my period. I don't know what witches are supposed to do about that."  
The woman's eyes widened and then she smiled. "Ah, don't worry Rose we'll get you all fixed up." She proceeded to show Rosie how to do the charm to clean her underwear and introduced her to the world of being a grown-up witch. That night, Rosie slept peacefully. She was looking forward to starting her third year at Hogwarts. She rubbed the locket around her neck and sighed. Things seemed to be looking up, at least for now.


	20. Chapter 20

Rosie still had her period the next day when she awoke. They were all up early so that they would be late getting on the train. Rosie was feeling in control. She put on her school robes, the locket from Snape was proudly on display around her neck. She wore her hair up in a high ponytail. Molly Weasley had given her a mild pain potion, and she made a note to ask her potions professor for more later on. Rosie never wore her uniform tie anymore. Snape had been the only professor who had cared, and even he had not mentioned it at all in the last half of the previous year. Hermione had taken to styling her hair differently over the summer. She usually wore it up, which made her look more mature. She had spent most of her time with Ron, but, when she did gossip with Rosie and Ginny, she had admitted to wanting to impress the redheaded boy. By the time they reached King's Cross, everyone was very tired. Rosie and Ginny quickly found a compartment on the train while Ron and Hermione went to find snacks. Even thought they had woken up early, there seemed to be an excess of students this year and the only compartment that they could find already had somebody in it. Rosie could tell that it was a man, but his face was covered by a ratty, brown coat. He was obviously sleeping. An old briefcase beside the man read "Property of RJ Lupin."  
Rosie settled in, rest her head on Ginny's shoulder and closing her eyes. Her friend was reading form a magazine. "Did you know that muggles use a dangerous machine to cut the grass around their houses Rosie?" She asked offhandedly. Rosie looked at the magazine that Ginny was reading and saw "Muggle Digest" written on the front. Like father like daughter.  
"Yeah, I've used one." Rosie confessed. She had done her fair share of lawn mowing for the Dursleys. She wondered if they knew what had become of her.  
"Really?" Ginny asked, excited. "Was it dreadful?"  
"Yes, it was pretty terrible." She giggled.  
Just then, Ron and Hermione returned, their arms full of treats from the trolley. "Eh Rosie do you want a licorice whip?" Ron asked as he tossed it over to her. Something strange happened when they entered the compartment. Ron's rat, Stabbers, started going mad. He was squeaking and squirming. It looked as though he was trying to escape.  
"Bloody hell Scabbers! This rat is right menace!" He shouted, annoyed. Rosie helped Ron to get him safely back into his cage. When he was tucked away, Ron turned to the group and asked in a whispered tone, "Who do you think this guy is anyway?"  
"Ron, we shouldn't speak about him. He might be a professor." Hermione chided.  
"I reckon he is the new defense professor." Ginny chimed in. "Did Snape tell you anything about defense this year?" Ron asked Rosie.  
"No, he doesn't like to talk about Hogwarts business."  
"What do you even talk about with him then?" Asked Ron, confused. Rosie shrugged. "Lots of stuff Ron."  
"Well I'm just glad that he is back to just teaching potions, greasy git."  
"Ron!" Ginny reproached, "don't be rude about Snape."  
"Well you have to admit he's an arse to everyone except Rose." He muttered.  
"Ron we all know that but you don't have to talk about it so much." Hermione scolded him.  
"Don't listen to him Rosie I think Snape is just fine." Ginny interjected.  
"It's fine guys, I'm not going to blow anything up." Rosie laughed, her hands up in surrender.  
"Rosie, I never asked you what option classes you're taking this year!" Hermione changed the topic.  
"Oh! Well I thought I'd take Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy. I was always good at maths in muggle school."  
"Oh, so was I! I loved Maths!" Hermione enthused. "I couldn't decide what to take so I am taking them all!" She added.  
"How on earth are you going to manage that?" Rosie asked. Don't they all happen in the same time slots?"  
"Yes, but I've fixed it with Professor Dumbledore!"  
"You're mad Mione." Ron teased.  
For the rest of the journey, the four bantered back and forth. Ron's rat would not let up. He gnawed a hole through the bars of his cage so they had to spello-tape it back together. Just as the train was about half an hour away from Hogwarts, a creeping cold descended in the air.  
Rosie started to shiver. Her teeth chattered and her stomach churned. Something did not feel right. The train came to a sudden halt, and the compartment door began to freeze over. It felt like winter time now. Rosie began to feel something guttural in her chest. She wanted to scream. She could feel a weight on top of her, and she felt a sharp pain. Rosie wasn't on the train anymore, she was in the defense office. She was underneath of him, and he was pushing her down. His breath was hot in her ear and she his hands were in her hair, holding her there. Rosie screamed, but nobody came. She cried as he moved inside of her... the pain was blinding and white hot. Suddenly, the memory changed, and Rosie was on her knees. The floor was rough and cold. His hand grasped her hair from behind so that she was under his complete control. He forced it into her mouth and she gasped for air. She wanted to vomit. He kept forcing it deeper into the back of her throat, which was on fire. Lockhart didn't stop until something came out of him and into Rosie's mouth. She gagged and spit. She could feel herself trying to vomit. This is how Rosie began to resurface.  
She heard Ginny cry out, "No! Rosie doesn't like to be touched!"  
"We need to get Professor Snape right away!"  
She could feel strong hands holding her while she gagged and wretched, but Rosie didn't want to be touched. She didn't want to be held. Her mind hit a threshold point and the last thing that she heard was the cracking of glass before she passed out, welcoming the darkness.  
When Rosie came to, she was lying down. Her breathing was raspy and her face felt swollen from crying. She sat up without thinking and vomited. Suddenly, somebody was there with her. She felt a hand pull her ponytail back out of her face, and another soothing hand rubbing circles on her back.  
"Rose." A familiar voice calmed. "You are here with me, at Hogwarts. We are in the entrance hall office. You are safe, and you are here."  
She wanted to vomit again. She fell to the side, letting Snape's body support her own. Trying to concentrate on taking deep breaths, her eyes were still shut tight. A small bottle was pressed up against her lips and she drank from it willingly.  
"That was a calming draught Rose." Her professor informed her.  
"P..professor I..I remembered." She stammered.  
"I know Rose. I did not realize that the dementors would have this effect on you."  
"What?"  
"Dementors. They guard the wizard prison called Azkaban. The ministry has had them brought to the castle until Sirius Black can be found."  
"What does that have to do with me?" Rosie breathed, still very weak.  
"Dementors have the power to make us relive our worst memories. I did not know that they also have the power to make us relive memories that have been erased. Several Dementors entered onto the train today without permission of the Headmaster."  
Rosie just whimpered. "You had an outburst while experiencing the memories, and one of the glass doors on the train shattered. There were no injuries." Rosie's breath was beginning to even out now. The draught was taking its effect. "Those were my memories professor, I know they were."  
"I believe you." Snape responded evenly. He still had his hand on her back. When Rosie had calmed down, she was sitting up with her professor beside her.  
"Sir, who was the other person on the train with me?" she asked.  
"It was Professor Remus Lupin." Snape said curtly. He sounded displeased. "You're new defense professor. Luckily he and your friends had the good sense to contact me immediately."  
Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Hello, Severus, Rose… I just wanted to check in to see how Rose is feeling." Said a voice from the door.  
The voice was smooth, comforting, and so eerily familiar. Rosie was sure that she had heard it before. She turned towards the door, and made eye contact with the person behind the voice. Her eyes widened in surprise. She let her hand come up to rest on her chest.  
"Moony?" Rosie whispered in disbelief.


	21. Chapter 21

The man she knew was Moony stared back at her. His mouth dropped open. "You remember me?" He asked incredulously. His face riddled with shock. Rosie wasn't sure what he meant. Of course, she remembered him. How could she forget? To the left of her, Professor Snape had also changed his expression from one of neutrality to an icy glare. Before she could stop herself, Rosie was up off of the couch. She ran towards Moony in the doorway and buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He received her, but she could tell how tense he was.  
"You're a wizard?" Rosie asked, her whole demeanor changing. She pulled back and stared up at him.  
"I guess you could say that." He said, bring his hand to the back of his head, chagrined.  
"Care to explain?" Snape said in a tone that resembled disgust from behind them.  
"Moony used to visit me Professor, when I lived at privet drive." She could feel her eyes welling up and she clutched onto her old friend. Moony's face reddened and Rosie could tell that Snape was angry. She tried to explain. "He came to see me on every birthday until I was about seven or eight. He said he was friends with my dad."  
"I missed you when you stopped coming." Rosie trailed off…  
"Oh, Rosie Potter." Moony sighed, he reached forward and pulled her into another solid hug lifting her off the ground in the process. His arms were strong and his scent was familiar and warm.  
Rosie heard Snape's icy drawl from the couch, "Well, I suppose I'll leave you two to catch up then." His voice was thick with something akin to distaste, or annoyance. She realized in that moment that if her potions professor went to the feast, she would be all alone in her experience from the train. She could not talk to Moony about that.  
"Wait!" Rosie cried as she turned momentarily away from Moony. "Can you stay for just a few more minutes? Please" She begged, giving Snape the look. "Maybe I can come to your office tomorrow Moony and we can talk? Rosie was almost pleading now. Moony gave her a curious look, but his eyes were kind. "Of course, Rose, why don't you come up during one of your breaks from class?" He added. "It was so nice to see you tonight."  
"Bye Moony." Rosie trailed off as he smiled at her again and made his exit. She turned back to face Snape. "Is something the matter?" Rosie asked innocently.  
Her professor sighed long and low. "No, child. Nothing is… the matter. Though I am surprised that you would be so keen to jump into the arms of a man that you do not know, especially after today."  
Rosie's face reacted before she did. A look of hurt flashed across her face. "I just… I haven't seen Moony in so long, but I do know him." She reasoned. "Yes, I gathered that Potter, but if you had been paying attention, you would realize that you have just made plans to meet that man in the defense office tomorrow." Uh oh, Rosie was getting the 'Potter' treatment. She must have pissed off Snape. It was true though, she should not have made plans involving that office. She had not been anywhere near it since Christmas last year. Snape had kept his regular office for the remainder of the year. Making it unnecessary to go. "Oh." Was all that Rosie replied.  
Snape's expression was still cold and Rosie was beginning to feel upset. What had she done? The answer was nothing. She'd only greeted her friend. When she gave him her best hurt puppy look, Professor Snape closed his eyes and sighed again. "Come here Rose." He patted the spot beside him on the couch.  
"I know you had a hard time on the train, and that you were excited… but you need to promise to be careful this year, especially around Professor Lupin."  
"Why sir? He was my friend before, surely he means no harm."  
"I happen to know that the company he keeps can be rather questionable." Snape responded matter of factly.  
"Sir, if I promise to be careful, will you talk to him before tomorrow and tell him to meet me somewhere else?" She whispered. Her voice soft. "I'm not ready to go there… yet."  
"Rose…"  
"Please professor…" Rosie interrupted.  
Shaking his head, Snape grumbled in agreement. "Fine, but I have some other stipulations to negotiate with you if Lupin is going to be in your life."  
"Like what professor?" Rosie was confused.  
"Firstly, each time that you meet with him alone, I would like you to inform me of it. You can tell me, pass me a note, whatever you would like, but I want to be aware."  
"Ok I guess." She agreed. Rosie didn't really want to have secret meetings with any professors anyways. Not after last year. Is that all?"  
"One more thing Rose. When you are in my presence, and you are not in class, I would like to ask that your address me by my first name." He stated slowly.  
"Like call you …. Severus?" Rosie clarified. She felt silly even saying it. "Why?"  
"Yes, like call me Severus. I want the staff to become aware that you are under my protection." His voice sounded almost menacing. Rosie wasn't sure if that was exactly the truth, but she agreed to it anyways because she really did want to see Moony.  
"Excellent. Tell me about your meetings with Lupin in the past." He demanded.  
"Well… professor… Severus. He was kind of my first friend, I guess. He came to visit me when I was little, usually on my birthday. It used to freak my family out." She giggled. "Sometimes I would pretend that one day he was going to come and whisk me away. When the Dursleys would bother me, I would sometimes tell them that."  
"When was the last time you saw him?"  
"On my eighth birthday. He came and he brought me a cupcake. We spent a few hours at the park together because my family kicked me out. I waited for him on my ninth… I was always so excited by the idea of having a visitor… but he never came, not ever again."  
"Yes… well Lupin was and has always been prohibited from visiting you Rose. So, it does not surprise me that he was no longer able to come. Had I myself been aware of these visits at the time, I would have stopped them much earlier."  
"But why?"  
"Nobody was to visit you. It was supposed to allow you the chance to bond with your mother's family."  
"Who decided that?!" Rosie demanded, her voice laced with indignation.  
"Professor Dumbledore."  
"Oh." Was all that she could say.  
"Now, we are settled on the Lupin issue. Tell me, how are you feeling?"  
Truthfully, Rosie was feeling all mixed up inside. "Uncomfortable." She replied.  
"Elaborate."  
"I am feeling all warm and fuzzy on account of seeing Moony, but I also feel really sick and my tummy hurts."  
"Your… tummy hurts?" Snape repeated. She crossed her arms around her middle. "Yeah." She said, looking down.  
Severus stared at the child in front of him. It was still hard for him to comprehend how she could feel so many emotions in such a short period of time. She had just gone from unbridled fear, to elation, to anxiety. He had been preparing assignments before the feast when he had received a Patronus message from Lupin stating that dementors had come onto the train and the Rose was inconsolable. He had met the man outside the gates and had been handed an unconscious child and three very worried Gryffindor children. Lupin had been completely useless in the matter, he obviously had no idea how to handle the situation and Severus wondered how he was going to control any of his classes if he could not keep Rose Potter from fainting. This was before it became aware to him that they knew each other. That… he had not been expecting. Lupin had always been spineless. It was entirely out of character for him to risk visiting the girl in her muggle home. It made him sick to watch the child hugging the wolf, with no idea what he was capable of, what he was. With any luck, Severus would be able to keep Lupin under his thumb this year, tracking his movements, brewing him the wolfsbane, and allowing him to develop a healthy fear of the Potions Master.  
The girl had said that her tummy hurt. That was something he'd never heard anyone say before. It sounded childish on his tongue. He could see that she was beginning to put up her occlumency defenses, she was shutting out the world. Normally he would never send a student to bed without supper, but in this case, he felt as though that might be the best option. He helped the girl drink a dreamless sleep. When she has finished it, she looked up with expectant eyes and he lifted her to her feet. He brought her through the fireplace, down into the potion's office, and put her to rest once again in his bed, in his chambers. At least he knew that the girl would be safe all night.  
When she had fallen asleep, Severus warred with the decision of who the see first, Lupin or the Headmaster. He chose Lupin. He did not knock, instead he entered the defence office without regard for what the wolf was doing.  
"Severus, hello." Lupin greeted him calmly.  
"Lupin"  
"I can't say I wasn't expecting you to come by Severus. I trust Rosie is well."  
"I would not use the word well, in the case of Rose Potter… she is resting, which is no concern of yours." Severus spat back.  
"I do hope that you will allow it to become my concern Severus, I have only good intentions."  
"You have obviously already taken that liberty upon yourself, as I seem to recall a strict policy put in place 12 years ago."  
"I understand that Severus. I am aware that I shouldn't have visited, but I am not the first man to succumb to his weaknesses."  
"Is the Headmaster aware of your folly?"  
"He is. He is the reason that I did not return to privet drive."  
"Do not tell the girl that." Severus commanded. "She needs to be able to put her trust in Albus."  
"I am shocked that she remembers me, I only visited once a year for a few hours at most."  
You apparently have no knowledge of the conscious processes of an eight-year-old." Severus lectured.  
"I must say Severus, I am not astonished that you have become so taken with Rose." Lupin changed the subject. "I am however, slightly more surprised at how well she has taken to you."  
"It is of no matter." Severus dismissed.  
"Maybe, had Rosie been born a boy… things would be different, but she has always reminded me so much of her mother. James was much rougher, he was more aggressive harder to bond with…. But Lily… Well, I don't have to tell you Severus."  
"Enough Lupin." He growled.  
"I am not here to undermine your authority Severus, but I do want to have a relationship with Rose."  
"See that you are careful. The girl is much more fragile than you know. She has asked me to inform you that she will not be able to meet you in this office tomorrow. It will have to be another location." Lupin gave him a strange look but smiled.  
"Not a problem, where do you propose Severus?"  
"Perhaps she would feel more comfortable meeting in my office." He drawled.  
"Let's shoot for a middle ground…" Lupin replied tersely. "If you are adamant that there be a buffer, why don't I meet her in the Headmaster's office during the lunch hour."  
"Fine." Severus agreed. He could live with that.


	22. Chapter 22

When Rosie woke up the next morning, she found that Snape had made her and himself a small breakfast. This was strange because she had rarely ever seen her professor eat. She had gotten ready quickly, pulling her hair back into another long ponytail and brushing her teeth. While they ate, Rosie pondered her situation.  
"Professor… erm… Severus?" She asked, stumbling out the words.  
"Yes?" He replied smoothly, raising his eyebrow as she fumbled with his name.  
"Can I ask you something?"  
"Go on." He confirmed, taking another sip from the glass in his hand.  
"Why do you think Professor Lockhart chose me?" She asked quickly. Snape almost spit out his pumpkin juice. He swallowed, closed his eyes, and thought about it for a moment."  
"I think… that it was a situation of bad luck on your part. He was given easy access to you through the excessive amount of detentions that you received with him."  
"So, you don't think it was something that I did?" She wondered out loud.  
"I do not."  
"I've had tons of detentions with you, and Filch… why was he so different? He seemed so nice to me."  
"That is a good question Rose. He might have seemed nice, but there is something that I want you to remember, and this applies for everyone that you will meet now and in the future. Nice is different than good. Just because somebody seems nice, does not mean that they have your best interests at heart."  
"Sir, are you good?" She asked, quieter this time.  
"What is your opinion on that?" He humored her.  
"Well… I guess I kind of understand what you are saying because you haven't always been nice… but I know that you are good."  
"Why do you say that I'm good?"  
"Um, well, you have kind of seen me helpless and in a really bad position but you have never…you know, taken advantage of that, or hurt me." She answered.  
"Interesting. So, in your mind, I am good because I have not forced you into sex despite having plenty of opportunity?"  
"Oh!" Rosie squeaked, her face flushed and she covered it with her hands. "I guess so…" She blushed harder, the air in the room thickened. "But there is more than one way to hurt somebody."  
"What are the other ways that you know of to hurt someone Rose?"  
"Well… that, but I just found out about that one. Then there is hitting or punching someone, cruel words, sometimes people are hurt when you don't show them enough love, and I suppose using dark magic and spells on them?" She listed, but it sounded more like a question than an answer.  
Snape nodded. "What would you think if you knew that I had done some of those things on that list to other people?" He asked curiously. "Would I still be good?"  
"I think maybe doing some things is worse than doing other things." She clarified. "I think it depends on the reason too."  
"How so?" He prompted. She could tell he was intrigued.  
"Well, what Lockhart did, that was for his own… pleasure." She shivered. "But if somebody uses dark magic to do something noble or brave, then maybe that would be different."  
"Do you think that somebody who did many of those things for personal gain or pleasure can change to become good?" He asked her seriously.  
Rosie thought about it. She wasn't sure. Maybe someone like Dudley… because he was a child the same as Rosie. He might grow up and change into a nice person. She didn't think that particularly likely, but she supposed it was possible.  
"Maybe…" She said, but her answer was not confident.  
"What about Lockhart?" Snape suggested softly. "If he came to apologize to you after ten years saying that he had changed. Would you believe him?"  
Rosie's insides twisted. She didn't want to think about ever seeing him again. "I think that actions speak louder than words do." She trailed off… "I don't want to talk about this anymore."  
"You are right, this conversation is much to heavy for breakfast time." Snape confirmed. "Are you looking forward to seeing Lupin today?" He was gentle with her, but he still spat out Moony's name. Rosie smiled. She had almost forgotten. "Yes, I am, but why do you hate him Severus?" She was proud of herself for letting his name roll easily off her tongue. "That is a conversation that is also much to heavy for breakfast." He replied curtly. "It is not relevant."  
"You know… he said he was friends with my dad, and my dad and my mother met in school… and you were in school with my mother. So, you must have known Moony too, right?"  
"That is correct."  
"So, you knew my father as well?"  
"I did." He answered, but his voice was clipped.  
"What was he like?" She pushed.  
"Rose. I think it best that we continue to talk only of your mother. You can ask Lupin about your father if you are curious."  
"Oh, ok." Was all she replied.  
"I think it's time for you to go down and meet your friends for class. You have potions, and then Arithmancy if I am correct."  
"Ok sir, I'll go. She touched her fingers to the locket around her neck. Snape noticed. "Thanks again Severus…" She said and she cracked a small smile. "See you later."  
"See you later Rose."  
Rosie was nervous to see her friends and her peers after what had happened yesterday. She was sure that everyone had heard about her reaction to the dementors. Dread built up in her stomach the closer that she came to the great hall. Her friends were always so supportive, but she felt as though she didn't deserve it. If they only knew why she was really like this… When she reached the Gryffindor table, she sat down quickly and made eye contact with Ginny who was across from her.  
"Hi Rosie!" Hermione greeted her. "Hey." She responded. "Are you looking forward to Arithmancy? I am!" Her friend grinned. Rosie breathed a sigh of relief. There seemed to be a collective agreement not to talk about yesterday's incident. "Yeah I am!" She replied happily. "I don't know how you could be excited about Arithmancy," Ron chimed in. "That has to be the most difficult and boring course here."  
"Worse than potions?" Ginny asked him giggling.  
"Maybe Rosie and I are more interested in it because it is so similar to muggle maths." Hermione suggested. That made sense to Rosie. She turned to Ginny and asked, "How do wizards learn math anyways?"  
"Our mum taught us!" Ginny answered.  
The morning went by quickly. Potions was a breeze. Snape never paid attention to her in that class, but he did not criticize her either. Arithmancy was nice. Hermione was overjoyed, and Rosie couldn't help but enjoy herself as well. When it was over, she felt the nerves begin to build up in her stomach. It was lunch time, and it was time for her to go see Moony. Quickly dispatching her friends, she hurried up to the Headmasters office, and realized that nobody had thought to tell her the password.  
"Licorice wands." Rosie heard a voice behind her say. She turned around to see Moony grinning behind her. "Moony!" She cried. It was almost an instinct to hug him. She lunged forward and buried her face into his robes once again. "Hello Rosie." He greeted her warmly. The gargoyle in front of them turned itself around to reveal the staircase leading up to the office. Rosie kept her hand on his arm and led him up the stairs.  
"Remus my boy, and young Rose, how nice to see you two reunited." Dumbledore beamed. "Please have a seat and enjoy your time together. I have some business to attend to at the ministry so I'll be stepping out."  
Dumbledore smiled and left through the fireplace. Rosie sat in front of Moony on the couch in the Headmaster's office. There was a moment of silence, and then his expression turned from one of happiness to worry. "How are you feeling Rosie? I was very worried about you. I have never seen such a strong reaction to dementors."  
Her face flushed. She had forgotten that he had seen her like that. "I'm alright…" She said. "I stayed with Severus last night and he gave me a whole bunch of potions, so that helped." Moony's eyebrows shot up. "You stayed with Severus? What does that mean?"  
"Oh, well sometimes I stay in his chambers if I'm upset."  
"Is the Headmaster aware that you do this Rose?" He asked, his face flashed with concern.  
"Oh! Of course, Moony, it's not weird, I promise, you can ask him. He suggested it actually. Severus has kind of just always taken care of me." She lied easily.  
"Yes, I can see that he's very protective of you."  
"Yeah, he is, I think he feels guilty or something."  
"Why would you say that?" He asked curiously.  
"Well… he was friends with my mom and I don't think they ended their friendship on a good note…" Rosie theorized. "I think he's trying to make up for that by being nice to me."  
"That is an interesting theory Rose. How do you know that they ended badly?"  
"Hm... He showed me this memory of her last year when I was feeling sad that she died, and they were fighting in it, my mom was there with me."  
"She was?" Moony seemed to be confused about something.  
"Yeah! Look at this, he made me a picture from the memory." Rosie opened up her locket to show Moony. The tiny Lily picked up Rosie and kissed her on the cheek.  
"That's beautiful. How very thoughtful of Severus." Moony acknowledged, but something seemed to be bothering him.  
"It's that, and just the way that he talks about her. He would be so cross with me for saying this, but he always looks so sad when he tells me a story about my mother."  
"Have you ever asked him?"  
"No! Of course not! Have you met Severus?" Rosie giggled.  
Moony chuckled lightly. "Fair enough, he said."  
"My dear, I'm surprised that you were able to remember me after all this time. I had thought that you'd forgotten or time together when you were little."  
"Moony, I'm only thirteen. It wasn't that long ago. Plus… not very many people have been as nice to me as you were. That's pretty hard to forget. I didn't connect the dots enough to realize that you had been a wizard or I would have looked for you."  
"That's very sweet of you to say Rose, thank you. I didn't realize I had made such an impact."  
"Severus said that if I have any questions about my dad that I should ask you and not him."  
"He said that did he?"  
"Yes! This morning."  
"And do you have questions?" He asked, a twinkle in his eyes.  
"Of course, I do, but I'm mostly curious about how you knew each other."  
Moony's face was smiling but his eyes were sad. "James was one of the dearest friends that I've ever had." He said sincerely. We were both Gryffindors in the same year. I had a very hard time as a child and James latched onto me and always tried to cheer me up, he was very loyal."  
Rosie smiled. Severus said last night that your choice of friends was questionable. Was he talking about my dad?" She asked innocently. "I don't think he liked him very much."  
Moony's face went dark, "He might have been Rose… but he was probably referring to Sirius Black."  
"Sirius Black was your friend?" Rosie exclaimed.  
"He was your father's very best friend and he and I were also very close, yes."  
"Wow, that is terrible, you must have been so sad when he joined Voldemort."  
Moony's eyes widened. "Rosie dear, do you think we could talk about something else? That is a bit of dark subject for lunch."  
"Oh, sure, of course, sorry Moony."  
"Not to worry Rose. Now, I heard that you're on the quidditch team? When is the next game? I'd like to see you play. Did you know that your father played chaser for Gryffindor?"  
There conversation continued for the rest of the lunch period. They discussed quidditch, Rosie's friends, and her interests. He told her that he had been working as a shopkeeper at a bookstore before accepting the post as defense professor. Rosie found him very easy to talk to, and he seemed fascinated with everything that she said. She guessed that this is what happened when you had dead parents. There friends are so enraptured by you because you remind them of your parents. Rosie didn't mind.  
When it was time for defense class, she walked down to the classroom with Moony. Her friends quickly joined her and she introduced them to the professor. When they entered the room, it was as a class and Rosie learned that they would be studying boggarts today. A boggart, as Hermione explained, was a magical creature that took on the form of a person's greatest fear. Moony explained that the charm to repel a boggart was "Ridikulus." He explained to them that the thing that was most feared had to be transformed into something humorous before it could be conquered. When he was done his explanation, He revealed that he actually contained a boggart in a wardrobe for the students to practice the charm with. They were to each take turns facing it.  
Neville Longbottom was chosen to go first. He stepped in front of the wardrobe and it began to shake. Moony opened it up, and out stepped… Severus? Rosie let out a small giggle and Ron made eye contact with her and laughed. The potions master eyed the students menacingly and walked towards Neville. The boy looked paralyzed, his hands were shaking. Rosie wracked her brain, then, she quickly hopped forward to where Neville was standing frozen, and cupped her hands around his ear.  
"Neville, picture him in your grandmother's clothes and say the spell." She whispered seriously. He turned to look at her and she said, "Just do it! Trust me!"  
"Ridikulus!" Shouted the boy. Severus changed from his usual black robes into a long flowing pink gown. He wore a fur hat and heals. Rosie giggled along with Neville and the rest of her class. She turned to see Moony with his hand over his mouth, his eyes rich with bemusement. "Very good Neville, Next!" He encouraged. They all formed a line, and one by one defeated their greatest fears. When it was Rosie's turn, she stepped forward nervously. She was not sure what this boggart would turn into, but she was not looking forward to it. Moony has his back to them and was fixing the record player that he had going. The boggart changed its shape quickly from a grim to a large black figure, it had no eyes, any only a mouth. It floated above Rosie and she began to feel the same cold dread that she had felt on the train yesterday. The gut-wrenching feeling of fear welled up inside of her and she heard the familiar sound of glass exploding. She could feel Lockhart moving against her, his mouth was on her neck, his breath in her ear. He had his hands on her chest, touching her, and she was powerless to stop him, she could feel something hard pressed against her leg. Suddenly, the memory ended, and Rosie found herself once again in the defense classroom. Moony had stepped in front of the boggart, and it changed into the silvery orb of the moon. Her breathing was unsteady, and the entire class was staring at her. Their professor banished the boggart and ended the class. Everyone began to file out slowly chatting amongst themselves. Ron and Hermione stayed behind to wait for Rosie. She was paralyzed, still standing exactly where she had been when the boggart changed.  
Before Moony could talk to her, Rosie spun around and gave her friends a pleading look. "Let's go" she mouthed and they followed her out the door. They walked in silence to their next class, which was transfigurations, but Hermione kept her hand steady on Rosie's shoulder the entire time.


	23. Chapter 23

Severus was in his office that evening marking papers when he heard a knock on his door. "Enter." He called out and to his greatest dismay, Lupin appeared on the other side of the door.  
"Yes?" He asked impatiently.  
"Severus, good evening. I just wanted to update you on Rose today." The wolf replied.  
"I assure you Lupin, I have no interest in your conversation with Rose Potter."  
"I think you might Severus. I was hard pressed to get her to stop talking about you the entire time we were together." The man smirked.  
Severus raised his eyebrows at the man. What could the girl have possibly said about him? "Go on." He allowed, motioning for the wolf to sit.  
"I think you should talk to her."  
"I do talk to her." Severus' eyes narrowed.  
"No, I think you should be more open with her, or affectionate, I'm not sure how to put this. She told me that she thinks you are only nice to her because you feel guilty about what happened between you and Lily."  
"Did she say that, or did you just happen to slip that into the conversation?" Severus was becoming annoyed now.  
"Those were her exact words Severus, I was merely commenting on your protectiveness and that was her explanation for it."  
Severus frowned. That wasn't good. He didn't realize that the girl had even understood the memory that he'd shown her last year. "How very perceptive of her." Severus stated calmly. "I suppose it did begin that way, but that is no longer the case."  
"What else did she say?"  
"She already knew that you didn't like James, and I let it slip that Sirius was our friend."  
"You what?" Severus threatened.  
"It was not my intention." The wolf defended. "She asked me about my questionable choice in friends, and I was not very well going to say that her father was one of the people you were referring to."  
"How did she react?" Severus glared.  
"Well she certainly has a remarkable apathy when talking about 'He-who-must-not-be-named'." Lupin sighed.  
"That she does. Albus got to her first."  
Lupin chuckled, and Severus shot him another penetrating glare. "Is that all?" He asked.  
"There is one more thing Severus." He just nodded, waiting for the details. "There was an incident in Defence today."  
"What kind of incident?" Severus spat.  
"I brought in a boggart for the children to take turns facing…" Lupin barely got the words out before Severus reacted.  
"Do you mean to tell me that you put Rose Potter in front of a boggart?" He was practically shouting now.  
"I did." He explained calmly.  
"What would possess you to do that?" Severus was fuming.  
"I wasn't thinking… I was under the impression that she might be afraid of you-know-who, so I was wary, but I was not expecting it to go the way it did."  
"No, you imbecile, she is not afraid of the Dark Lord, what happened?" He demanded.  
"Her boggart was a dementor."  
"Of course, it was. I assume she had a similar reaction to yesterday's?"  
Lupin just nodded solemnly.  
"Then why in Merlin's name did you not bring her straight to me?" Severus interrogated.  
"She left so quickly with that girl, Granger and the Young Weasley boy, I couldn't even talk to her myself. She seemed functional though Severus, not like yesterday. She did not scream or cry this time, she only stood there and stared at it."  
"She was not fine. Now I'm going to have to go and get her. In the future, notify me immediately."  
"I apologize Severus, I was not aware that this was as serious as it seems to be."  
"The girl is unstable. She is in need of near constant supervision." He spat.  
"What happened to her Severus? She was not like that when I first met her."  
"I am not at liberty to discuss such things with you Lupin, as they are not my secrets to reveal."  
"Fair enough." Lupin conceded. Very well then Severus, that was all. Good night." He said as he left the potion master's office. Severus sighed. One peaceful night would be nice.


	24. Chapter 24

Rosie was in the common room alone. She was staring at the fireplace but her mind was elsewhere. It was late, her friends had already gone to bed. One day had felt like several, and she had a lot of information to sort through. There were her memories, which had been brought about by these dementor things that now lived at the school. However, Rosie was also lost in thought in regards to Severus, and Moony. Two people had entered her life that she knew were going to be around for a long time. One day with Moony after years of not seeing him and she was already attached. There was definitely something wrong with her. On the other hand, Rosie had been spending a more than was healthy amount of time with Severus lately too. This was not the first time in the past few months that she had felt at war with her own emotions. As if somebody had read her mind, the portrait in the common room swung open, and in walked Severus himself. She could tell that he was tense.  
"I thought that you might be awake." He said tersely, without greeting her.  
"Why?" Rosie asked, confused.  
"Lupin came to see me. He was concerned because apparently, you left rather quickly after your class ended." He shot her a meaningful glance and Rosie sighed. She didn't want to get into this.  
"Professor… Severus. I don't need to pour my heart out about it every time I have another memory of my professor fucking me." Rosie spat. Her eyes were cast down so that she couldn't see her professor's reaction.  
"Where did you learn that word in this context?" He asked seriously.  
"It's not relevant." Rosie replied, using his own words against him.  
"You are using it incorrectly. The term 'fucking,' vulgar as it is, implies consent. In your case, consent was not present, therefore, the word is not applicable."  
"Stop." Rosie begged. "I don't want to talk about this."  
"You cannot bottle it up. There are some people who can mask their feelings and never let them show. You, Rose Potter, are not one of them. The less you share now, the worse your next outburst will be."  
"I just don't want to deal with it anymore. The second I feel any kind of calm, or happiness, this just happens all over again." She confessed.  
"I know, but it will get easier."  
"When?! When will it get easier? I am surrounded by those horrible dementor things from now until they find Sirius Black! I am stuck in the same class that he taught in, Moony's office is the same office that he had… the couch that he sits on is the same couch that…" Rosie trailed off.  
"Rose. Control your emotions, do you want all of Gryffindor tower to hear you?"  
"No." she replied, her head hung.  
"I can tell that you are very conscious about Lupin's part in this." Severus started. "Perhaps we ought to make a plan to inform your old friend about your encounters with Lockhart."  
"Please don't." Rosie pleaded.  
Severus sighed loudly. "Be open and honest with me then, and I will keep my silence."  
Rosie groaned back.  
"Tell me what you saw in the new memory."  
"He was pushing me down again."  
"And who is he?" Severus asked nonchalantly.  
"Professor Lockhart." Rosie glared.  
"Go on."  
"Professor Lockhart was touching me on my chest, and then I could feel his… against me."  
"His what?" Severus asked again.  
"Don't make me say it." Rosie begged.  
"The faster that you become comfortable with the language, the easier it will be to talk about it."  
"I can't" She closed her eyes and shook her head.  
"Rose. What happened in the memory?"  
"He was touching my chest and moving his p.. penis against me." She forced out.  
"Good. Thank you for sharing that."  
"I didn't have much of a choice." Rosie grumbled.  
"What has been the most difficult part about recovering your own memories?" He asked her next.  
"I guess it's not really the images, because I already had those. It's like my body is remembering this time, like I can feel it now…"  
"Feel what?" He responded.  
Rosie wanted to scream. Why was Snape doing this to her?! "I can feel the pain now and the…you know… fear that I felt." She added, and her face burned with shame.  
"Alright. Excellent job Rose. You did not have an outburst. That was well done."  
"Can we be done now? Please?" Rosie gave her professor her very best sad eyes.  
"Yes child. I promise that I do not do this to watch you suffer."  
Rosie just shrugged. "Why did Moony want to talk to you if he didn't know what was wrong with me in defense?"  
"Actually, he came to talk to me about something you said in his time with you this afternoon."  
"Oh, so you are both just going to collectively tell on me to each other now for the rest of the year?" Rosie barked. "Great. Just great."  
"Your secrets are safe with me. As you are aware." Severus repeated to her, his voice was even.  
"Whatever." She responded belligerently. "What did he say then?"  
"He informed me of your belief that I only look after you because of your mother."  
Rosie's eyes widened. "Would you care to elaborate on that?" Her professor prodded.  
"Professor… Severus, I'm not blind."  
"What do you mean by that?" He asked calmly.  
"It was very kind of you to show me that memory last year… but it was obvious that it was your last one… of her, and you two were arguing. Then she died."  
Severus closed his eyes. His breathing was soft, he was not cross with her.  
"It is not a lie that my relationship with your mother was tumultuous. However, even if my concern for you had stemmed from my history with you mother… it is not now."  
"Wait… so are you saying that you care about me just because?" Rosie smirked a little bit.  
"I suppose that is what I am saying Rose, yes." He grimaced.  
"Thanks sir." She said quietly.


	25. Chapter 25

Rosie awoke the next morning feeling better than she thought she would. The sun was barely up over the horizon, but she got up anyways because this morning was the first quidditch practice of the year. Changing into her Gryffindor team uniform, Rosie took a few moments to braid her hair down both sides. The hairstyle made her feel in control, and contained. She had flown over the summer, but she had not participated on the Gryffindor team last year after Christmas. Today, Rosie was ecstatic to play again, even if it was only a practice. As she headed down to the pitched, she stopped to grab a bite of sausage and milk from the empty great hall. As the pitch became larger in Rosie's vision, she could see that the Weasley twins and captain Oliver Wood were already there.  
"Heya Rosie!" Shouted Fred from a few yards away. The twins sauntered towards her and much to her surprise, each tucked an arm under her shoulders to spin her around and away from Wood. "We wanted to check in with ya." George explained quietly as they put her down.  
"We've been worried since the train." Fred continued.  
"You alright Rosie?" They finished.  
She giggled as George pinched one of her cheeks. Rosie did enjoy having the twins around, even when they went to far, it was never on purpose. "I'm okay guys! Thanks though."  
"Alrighty sweet cheeks, but you let us know if we need to use our bats for more than bludgers, got it?" Fred smiled. "I will." Rosie promised them.  
Wood greeted Rosie with more enthusiasm than she was expecting. That must have meant that she had been missed last year. As the other players began to trickle in one by one, the team was instructed to complete several laps and then set up for a mock game. Rosie was soaring over the pitch again before she even had time to think about it. This was bliss. It was a feeling that came few and far between for her lately. She made a mental note to come out and fly more often.  
After practice, Rosie ran upstairs to the common room and changed into her uniform, slipping the locket over her head and fixing her hair which had been mussed up from the wind. Today, she felt a little bit less self conscious for whatever reason and decided to thread a little bit of red ribbon into her hair to match the Gryffindor crest. When she came down from her dorm, she realized that her friends had left without her. Checking the time, Rosie understood why. She was late. Taking off towards her Potions class, Neville joined her from behind, his face expressed a slightly higher degree of panic than her own. "Relax Neville, you're with me." Rosie winked. She put her hand on his back and they entered Severus' classroom together. "Miss Potter, Mr. Longbottom. How nice of you to join us." Severus drawled, pausing his speech. "Sorry Professor." Rosie blinked at him and grinned widely. "I held Neville up."  
Severus just stared at her. He quickly nodded towards their seats. "Very well then. See that it does not happen again in the future." His voice was threatening enough that Neville shivered beside her, but Rosie knew that she had gotten them off scot free. As they sat down, she heard Neville whisper to Ron beside him, "Bloody brilliant she is." That made her feel good. When Rosie came forward to deliver her finished potion at the end of class, she handed Severus a note, and flashed him a small smile. He accepted the note but glared right through her. She must have caught him in a mood. The note read,  
Going to visit Moony at lunch, so sorry about being late- Rosie   
Today, instead of defense, Rosie had Care of Magical Creatures, and then Transfiguration after that. This meant that she had to keep track of the time during her visit with Moony. She ran up to the defense office, knocked, and then turned away and stood along side the wall. Rosie didn't even want to see inside. When Moony came to the door, she whispered, "Hey."  
"Rose. How lovely to see you. Did you want to come in for a cup of tea?" He offered, his voice soft.  
"Could we maybe… go for a walk instead?" She suggested.  
Moony looked puzzled, but held his smile in place well. "Of course dear. Where did you have in mind?"  
As soon as he had stepped completely out of the office and closed the door behind him, Rosie jumped forward and gave him a hug. Something about Moony's scent made her feel so comfortable and calm. She had intended on being upset that he had talked to Severus the previous night, but she was too happy to see him.  
"I'm sorry for leaving so quickly after the lesson yesterday." Rosie apologized as they began to walk. "Severus told me that you were worried."  
"Don't think anything of it Rosie, I'm the one who is sorry. I should never have let you face the boggart."  
"I don't understand why nobody else is affected by the dementors like I am." Rosie sighed.  
"Dementors force us to relive the worst memories of our lives Rose… I am under the impression that your worst memories might not be as trivial as the majority of your classmates."  
Rosie frowned. "What about Ginny?" She asked. "I would have expected Ginny to be more upset by the dementors."  
"Miss. Weasley? Oh, I think she was too focused on making sure that you were alright. She is a good friend that one."  
She nodded in agreement. "Rose… might I ask you a personal question?" Moony started cautiously… She cocked her head to the side in curiosity, but smiled, indicating that he should ask. "Do you remember anything of your parents?"  
"No, I don't." Rosie responded… "Only the night they died."  
"You remember the attack on your home?" He asked in surprise.  
"Yes. Only a bit. I remember hearing my dad yell to my mom that she should take me and run… then I remember hearing my mother begging for my life… I saw Voldemort's face, and then there was just a lot of green light and pain in my head." Rosie explained. Moony cringed. "Sorry." She said quickly. "I didn't mean to make you upset."  
"No no, I asked." He reassured. Moony gave her an intense look, and lifted his hand. "Do you mind?" He indicated towards her scar. "It's ok." She gave permission. He traced the lightning bolt along her forehead, his frown deepening.  
"How long had my mom and dad known each other before they started up?" Rosie asked, changing the subject. "Excellent question Rosie." Moony chuckled, replacing his sadness. "It's funny, actually, you mother hated James for years. She was friends with Severus, and Severus and James did not get along."  
"Why was that?"  
"Oh, various reasons… None of it relevant now my dear." He dodged her question. "Finally, at the end of their sixth year, Lily accepted James' invite to go to Hogsmeade."  
"Do you have a picture of him?"  
"Who?" Moony asked.  
"My father." She replied. "I don't know what he looks like, just my mom."  
Moony froze where they stood. "Rosie you can't be serious… you've never seen your father?" She looked down, ashamed, but shook her head. Her professor looked a bit starstruck. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but Rosie went in for another hug. "I'm sorry!" She cried as she rested her head on his robes. "The Dursleys… they didn't like my parents, so they never showed me any pictures. The first time I saw my mother was in Severus' mind during occlumency lessons."  
"Child, of course I will bring you a picture of your father, and your mother. I'm sure I have both."  
"Thanks Moony." Rosie smiled, taking in his comforting tone. Suddenly, confusion drifted across the man's face. "Wait… you said that you took occlumency lessons from Severus last year?"  
"Uh huh."  
"Why did you need those?"  
"I don't want to talk about it." Rosie flinched.


	26. Chapter 26

After a couple weeks of classes, Rosie had something to ask Severus. She sauntered down towards the dungeons and knocked confidently at his office door. Hearing the familiar, "enter" indicating that she could open the door, Rosie pushed her way in.  
"Good evening Rose." Severus nodded curtly. She sat in front of his desk and flashed him a smile. "Hi Severus."  
"Did you have a pleasant visit with the w…Lupin? Severus asked, though she didn't really think he cared much.  
"Yes, it was nice. He's going to find me a picture of my father."  
"How nice." Severus replied, but it sounded as though he did not really think it was nice. "Um… sir, can I ask you something?"  
"Yes."  
"Who is my official guardian right now?"  
"Why do you ask?" Severus questioned, his eyebrow raised.  
"Well… I need somebody to sign my Hogsmeade permission slip, but I don't even know if I have a guardian."  
"Ah yes. I am not sure if it is a good idea to have you traipsing around Hogsmeade this year considering the current…climate."  
"Oh Severus, please. I won't talk to anybody weird, and I won't go alone. I just want to go with my friends."  
"Rose."  
"Please Severus, please please please." She gave him the look, her eyes wide and her mouth turned down.  
"Fine. I will sign it."  
"Thank you!" She squealed. "Are you my guardian then?"  
"In the interim until a suitable replacement can be found."  
"Why can't you just stay my guardian?" She asked innocently. Severus' eyes widened in surprise.  
"I assure you that I would not be the right fit." He told her.  
"Well why not? You already do everything for me anyways." Rosie frowned. Severus grimaced and closed his eyes. "In the future, there may come a time when it will be a risk to both your safety and my own for you to be residing with me."  
Rosie's face furrowed in confusion. "That makes no sense sir."  
"It's not going to happen Rose. I would if I could, but I cannot."  
Confusion turned to sadness, and Rosie could tell the Severus had noticed. Her professor put his head in his hands groaning. She felt uncomfortable, like what she had asked of him was bad or inappropriate. "I'd better go to dinner…" Rosie finished, her voice low and quiet. She got up to leave, and Severus did not try to stop her.  
On her way to the great hall, rounding the corner to leave the dungeons, Rosie came face to face with Draco Malfoy and his cronies. Her hand thrust automatically into her robe pocket to grasp her wand.  
"Oi Potter, fancy seeing you here." Malfoy taunted. "I thought you'd be hiding from our friendly neighborhood dementors." Crabbe and Goyle laughed and high fived each other from behind.  
"Excuse me Malfoy." Rosie said as she tried to move past him.  
"Not so fast Potter." He put his hand up to stop her, placing it on her shoulder." Rosie stifled the instinct to flinch away.  
"What do you see when they come near…?" He asked in a low whisper. "I bet you hear your coward parents scream for mercy as they die."  
"Shut it Malfoy." She warned, her voice steady.  
"Or what?" He mocked. "Tell me… did your mother really bleed mud when the Dark Lord got to her?"  
Crabbe and Goyle went mad with laughter from behind. "Get it Potter, because she was a mudblood." Goyle cackled. Rosie didn't know what that meant but she knew it was bad. Her hands came out in front of her and she pushed Malfoy back a few steps. He drew his wand and cast a jelly-legs jinx, which Rosie dodged. She cast a disarming spell, and sent Malfoy flying back, hitting the wall and falling to the floor.  
"Rose Potter." She could hear a voice from behind her cry in anger. It was professor McGonagall. "What is the meaning of this?"  
"She cursed me professor!" Malfoy yelled.  
"I can see that Mister Malfoy." McGonagall snapped. "That is a detention tonight with Professor Lupin Rose. You will report to the defense office at seven o'clock." A flood of sheer panic turned Rosie veins to ice… she could not go to the defense office.  
"What is going on here?" Severus' voice came out of nowhere from behind, his words coming out as a sneer.  
"Miss Potter and Mr. Malfoy have been fighting. Mr. Malfoy will serve a detention with me at seven and Miss Potter will be serving detention with Professor Lupin at the same hour Severus. "Very well then." He responded casually. McGonagall nodded and turned away motioning for the Slytherin boys to follow her. This left Rosie alone with Severus once again.  
"Professor… Severus. I don't care about the detention, but please don't make me go to the defense office." She begged, her voice hitching.  
Severus did that horrible thing where he looked into her eyes then turned way. That was never good. Not facing her, he said calmly, "I have not power here Rose. You must report to the defense office at seven o'clock."  
"Severus, please!" She cried. Her eyes were beginning to sting. "I can't."  
"You should have thought of that before you hexed Mr. Malfoy." He responded seriously, but he would not look at her. Rose knew that this was some sort of revenge for her annoying him about the guardian thing. "Severus…" Rosie was crying now.  
"Rose. You need to learn that your actions have consequences. I cannot make exceptions for you with other Professors." Rosie wanted to vomit.  
"Your other option is to explain the situation to Lupin and ask him to hold the detention in another location." Severus suggested, his voice emotionless.  
"I can't!" She sobbed, her breathing becoming laboured. "Then you need to prepare yourself."  
"Look at me!" Rosie screamed at him, and he stumbled backwards as if he had been pushed. "Rose. Control your emotions, you're having an outburst."  
"Look at me!" she shouted again and his eyes made contact with hers. "I hate you." She sneered, kicking the wall as she turned her back on him and walked away. She ended up in her dorm. Laying on the bed, she replayed the scene over and over in her mind, dreading the detention that was to come.  
Severus felt like a monster. No, he was a monster. He couldn't believe how badly the day had ended. First, he had rejected the request of the child to become her guardian, which was not entirely his fault… what he'd said was true, if the Dark Lord were to return, it would be dangerous if not impossible to have Rose Potter living under his roof. However, he had rejected her in a way that she did not understand, and he had ignored her. Now, he was forcing her to serve detention in the office where she had been repeatedly raped less than a year ago. Recapping that in his mind was almost enough for Severus to go out looking for the girl to cancel her detention. However, what he'd said to her regarding that matter had also been true… She did need to learn that her actions have consequences, she could not go around hexing everyone that bothered her. A detention with him would not suffice. This, this was a real punishment. He hoped that she would learn from it. Even so, Severus felt sick thinking about what he had done. He would have to find some excuse to check on her. At least Lupin was a comfort to the girl. He knew that Albus was pushing for the wolf to become her permanent guardian. The thought disgusted Severus, but he did not have any other ideas, so for the time being, he had to be on board. He highly doubted that Rose would tell Lupin about Lockhart, but he hoped that the wolf would be perceptive enough to understand that something was amiss.  
Rosie had fallen asleep after her argument with Severus. When she awoke, it was six forty-five. She quickly changed. Not wanting to wear her uniform, she chose an oversized sweater and tights to wear to her detention. If she was going to be upset, Rosie reasoned that she might as well be upset and comfortable. Her nerves were a lost cause. Her stomach was churning and her chest was tight. Knowing that the effort was futile, Rosie put up her best occlumency defenses and began the trek towards Moony's office. With each step her heart thudded louder. She hadn't even reached the office yet when her mind began to replay the memories, Lockhart's along with her own. There was no defense strong enough to block this feeling out.  
When Rosie arrived at the office, she could not bring herself to knock. Instead, she just stood there staring at the door with her stomach in her throat. After several minutes, the knob on the door turned, presumably, Moony was wondering where she was. He opened the door slowly, and when he caught sight of her standing in front of him, his expression transformed into one of confusion.  
"Rose? How long have you been standing out here?" He asked softly. Rosie just shrugged, her voice was caught and she couldn't speak.  
"Rosie, are you ok?" His tone quickened with worry. She just shook her head. Moony motioned for her to come into the office, "Ok sweetheart. Just come sit down alright?" He soothed.  
The moment that she walked through the door, her chest felt as though it was being crushed. The air was thick. She looked around. The last time she had been in here, it had only been through the pensive. Rosie's eyes flashed from the coat hanger where her tie had hung, to the desk, and finally the couch where she knew that everything had happened. Moony made a move to put his hand on her back, but before he was able Rosie flinched, hard, and skirted away from his hand. "Please don't touch me." She whimpered. She could see the hurt flash across Moony's face, but could not bring herself to talk.  
"Rose sweetheart, why don't we get you settled here on the couch?" he suggested cautiously. "No!" she cried, the panic evident in her voice. She didn't want to sit on that thing. As she turned to face Moony, her hands jutted out in front of her to indicate that he stay back. She slowly backed herself up until she was in the corner of the office. Sliding her back down the wall, Rosie came to rest in a sitting position, laying her cheek against the other side of the wall to her right and closing her eyes.  
"Rosie, please talk to me, what's wrong?" Moony pleaded with her, but she could not think. "Shall I fetch Severus?" He asked, the concern growing in his voice. "Did something happen?" Rosie did not respond.  
Severus was adding the last ingredient into the detoxifying potion that he was brewing when he heard a voice from his office next door. Leaving the potion to simmer, he went through to his office to investigate. He was not startled to find Lupin's face in his fire, but he was surprised that the wolf had given up so easily with the girl, it was only fifteen minutes past the hour.  
"Lupin." He greeted the man tersely.  
"Severus can you come through? Something is wrong with Rose."  
"I cannot." He replied. Lupin had to learn to deal with the girl it a situation like this.  
"Severus it is an emergency, she is not well."  
"I am aware." He nodded toward the fireplace. "You will have to handle it Lupin."  
"What can I do? She won't even look at me. I can't get close enough to comfort her, she just shrinks away." His voice was wavering.  
"You need to get close to her. It does not matter if she screams, cries, or breaks things. You must take control of the situation. She is not in her own mind, you need to bring her back to reality. You need to snap her out of it. Only then will she communicate with you." Severus instructed firmly.  
"I will try." Lupin conceded, but Severus did not have high hopes. He would go check on them in a few minutes.  
Rosie saw Moony's head emerge from the fire and she expected that Severus would come through. Her thoughts were cloudy. The memories swirled around in her brain making her feel dizzy. Moony was nervous, she could tell. He approached her slowly, moving towards her spot in the corner. "Rose. I need you to relax. I'm not going to hurt you, but I need you to come and sit with me so that we can chat." He told her.  
Rosie ignored him.  
She could hear Moony take a deep breath. He let it out, and then bent down and sat beside her. Taking hold of her right shoulder, her pulled her forcefully towards him so that her upper body came to rest on his chest. "No! Get off me!" She screeched fighting his strength. "please don't, please stop, don't touch me!" Rosie pulled away from him, but his grip was tight and she could not get away. Her body arched in panic. She was trapped, he could do whatever he wanted to her. The coat hanger in front of them came crashing to the ground. Moony's face was pained and his eyes were closed but he did not relent. Rosie began to cry, "don't touch me." She whimpered again but he held on.  
"Rosie, you're with me. You're with Moony. It's ok, I'm right here with you."  
Rosie kept struggling. She couldn't breathe. Her professor's hand came underneath her chin and he forced her eyes up to look at him. "Rosie Potter, you are with me, Moony, I am here for you."  
Her breathing became longer and slower, the adrenaline was wearing off and Rosie was beginning to become more aware of her surroundings. She was on the floor, in Moony's arms and he was obviously in a great deal of pain. Gasping for air, Rosie sat up further, leaning onto him for support. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She breathed.  
"It's ok, you're ok." Moony soothed.  
"I don't like this office." Rosie admitted weakly.  
"I got that. Loud and clear Rosie." Her breath was evening out. She was now leaning against him completely of her own volition. He ran his hands through her hair and stroked her arm.  
Severus watched from the doorway smirking. The wolf had figured it out after all. He debated going into the office but decided against it. This victory would be Lupin's, and hopefully this evening would allow the child an opportunity to trust in someone other than himself.


	27. Chapter 27

As the adrenaline wore off, a heavy shame settled in Rosie's chest. She had made a complete fool of herself that day in front of both Severus and Moony. At least Severus was used to her now, but Moony… she barely knew him. Lying there with him on the floor, both breathing heavily, and both returning to a state of calmness, Rosie wanted nothing more than to erase what had just happened. She brought herself into a sitting position and Moony followed suit until they were facing each other once more.  
"I'm really sorry Moony." Rosie breathed, her voice was still shaky. The man was obviously exhausted but he did not look phased by what she'd said.  
"It's alright Rose." He replied calmly. Moony stood up and stretched out his hand for her to take it. She did, and he led her over towards the couch to sit down. The room was still unpleasant, but the panic that Rosie had felt just moments ago had ceased. It was as if she had to lose control in order to gain it. As Rosie sat, Moony prepared them each a cup of tea. He did not say anything, maybe he was allowing her time to clear her mind. When he finished, he handed her the steaming cup and sat down next to her on the sofa. Rosie allowed the warmth of the tea to sweep through her whole body as she focussed on steadying her breathing.  
"My dear, might I ask what happened? Without upsetting you of course." Moony's voice was slow and soothing.  
Rosie wanted to wring her hands together, but the cup of tea was still firmly in her hands. "I… erm… I had a fight with Severus earlier." She stuttered out. It was not a lie, but she knew that she was not ready to tell him the whole truth.  
"Ah…" Moony sighed, it looked as though he was trying to put the pieces together in his mind. "And, your fight with Severus made you feel this way?" He asked.  
"Not just that… I just don't like coming to this office, and he made me come for detention, and I just can't be in here." Rosie trailed off, her voice was erratic.  
"What is it about this office that makes you so upset? Did something happen here?" Moony pried for more information. "I can't talk about it." She muttered, looking down.  
"Rose… can I tell you a secret?" He asked her seriously.  
"Of course." Rosie replied.  
"When I was a little boy, something very frightening happened to me… and it has haunted me my entire life. So, I understand if you are not ready to talk yet… but I want you to know that I am always here. I know you have Severus, I understand that, but in case you need a fresh pair of ears, I will be here."  
"Thanks, Moony." She gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry you were hurt." Rosie added, and she reached out her hand and stroked his arm.  
"Thank you my dear. You know… your father, he had both good and bad qualities, as we all do… but he was there for me in a time when I didn't have anyone else."  
"He was?" Rosie asked gingerly.  
"Yes. We called ourselves the marauders…" He went on. "Myself, James, Sirius, and another boy… Peter."  
"Sirius Black?" She clarified.  
"Yes. Sirius Black. I like to think that you and I are the last remaining marauders Rose."  
"Me?"  
"Yes you. You are James' daughter, his only child…and I know he would be so proud of the person you have become."  
Rosie grinned at his words and then asked, "Professor… what happened to Peter?"  
Moony cringed. "He was killed shortly after your parents."  
"Oh, I'm sorry."  
"Never you mind Rose dear."  
"I guess I didn't really understand the amount of damage that Voldemort did… you know, because I wasn't there. When I met him in my first year, he was so fragile..."  
Moony spit out his tea. "I'm sorry Rose, did you just say that you met Lord Voldemort in your first year?"  
"Yeah… He was living on the back of our defense professor's head. He had the professor trying to steal the philosopher's stone, but Ron, Hermione, and I went to retrieve it instead and we ran into them." She explained.  
"How did you survive?" Moony gasped.  
"Erm… Professor Dumbledore said that it was because my mother died for me… Voldemort couldn't touch me, and when I touched Professor Quirrell, he kind of melted."  
"He melted?"  
"Yes, and then Voldemort's ghost thing ran away." She finished. Moony's eyes were wide.  
"So, what your saying Rose is that I am a very lucky man to be able to meet you again."  
"I guess Professor." She smirked. "I'm not very good at dying."  
"That's a very good trait to have."  
"Sometimes I'm not so sure." Rosie whispered.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Never mind… she frowned."  
"Well, I suppose you've served enough time in detention tonight Rose, why don't I walk you back to your dorm? You must be exhausted." Rosie thought that Moony looked like the one who was tired. The dark circles under his eyes were pronounced and he looked generally sickly. She had the urge to stay and care for him, but instead, she let him walk her back to the dorm, arm in arm, and she hugged him goodnight.  
Entering into the common room Rosie was surprised to find Ginny waiting up for her. The girl had a cup of hot chocolate and a book, and when she came in through the door, Ginny smiled widely. "There you are!"  
"Hey Gin! I'm so sorry I've barely been able to see you all day."  
"It's ok, where were you Rosie? I made Ron and Hermione go to bed, but they were worried."  
"Detention." She giggled in response. "I hexed Malfoy."  
"With Snape?"  
"No, that's not a real detention." She winked. "I was with Professor Lupin."  
"What is up with that guy anyways? You meet up with him a lot."  
"He was best friends with my dad…" Rosie told her.  
"You're joking? That's amazing Rose! Now you have Snape to tell you about your mother and Lupin can talk to you about your dad. It's perfect."  
"Yeah it's pretty great. Guess what? Severus said that he'd sign my Hogsmeade permission form!" Rosie exclaimed.  
"That's so exciting Rosie, I wish I could go with you!" She cried.  
"Next year! Hey, I wanted to ask, how have you been holding up with all these dementors running all over the place?" Rosie asked.  
"Oh… well, I guess I have been a bit down since being back… but I'm coping." Ginny shot her a small smile. "I don't like to hear him talking to me in my head, but I hear it anyways all the time, so not much has changed."  
"Gotcha." Rosie replied.  
"How are you coping?" Ginny returned the question.  
"I told Severus that I hated him today."  
Her friend's eyes widened. "That well eh?"  
"Pretty much yeah." She grimaced.  
"Did you apologize?"  
"No, I haven't yet. It was right before my detention, I will tomorrow."  
The girls sat for a few more moments talking, and then decided that they would head to bed. Rosie tossed and turned all night. She felt like she had some unfinished business to attend to. At around five in the morning, Rosie realized that any more effort to sleep was only going to exhaust her more, so she got up and dressed early, and began the walk down to the dungeons. She had to apologize to Severus. When she arrived at the familiar door, she opened it without hesitation. The man was not in his office, which could mean that he wasn't awake, or it could mean that he was out. Rosie decided the lay on the couch in there until he came back.  
Severus awoke early. He was supposed to meet Albus in his office at five thirty to discuss any progress on Sirius Black. Unfortunately, there had been very little progress on Severus' end. Lupin was too weak to be aiding his former friend… though Severus also had believed him too spineless to visit Rose, so it was still worth looking into. Aside from that, Severus had no ideas. Opening the door to his chambers, he came to a halt. On his office couch was Rose Potter, curled up fast asleep. Beside her, with his hand on her leg, was Albus.  
"Good morning Severus. I see that young Miss Potter beat me to you today." He smiled.  
Severus groaned. "I was not aware that she was speaking to me." He responded.  
"Did something happen?"  
"I made her attend a detention in the defense office last night."  
"Ah… I can understand Rose's frustration with that."  
"Yes, well. She should not have hexed Mr. Malfoy."  
"I seem to remember a young boy who had a reputation for hexing his enemies in the school corridors." Albus' eyes twinkled.  
"Are you referring to myself or Potter?" Severus snapped back.  
"I'm referring to both of you Severus. The girl has it in her genes, but you mustn't be so quick to judge."  
"Are you saying I shouldn't punish the child?" He sneered.  
"I do not condone fighting in the halls… but I do think that your punishment might have been … harsh my boy. She is a child after all."  
"A child who is in the process of learning that every argument does not need to involve violence."  
"You sound like her father Severus. I'm sure James Potter is rolling over in his grave."  
"I am not her father Albus, but somebody has to teach the child."  
"You do care very much for her though." Albus affirmed.  
"Apparently not enough."  
"Why would you say that?" The headmaster asked, his tone disbelieving.  
"She asked me to be her guardian, and I told her no."  
"Did you explain to her the reason why you refused?"  
"Vaguely… but she did not understand."  
"Maybe you should consider telling her the truth about your part in the war Severus."  
"Albus she is thirteen years old, I am sure she would not comprehend it."  
"Is it that my dear boy? Or are you afraid that she would reject you if she knew?" Albus prodded him.  
"Enough Albus. This conversation is over."  
"As you wish, but remember, in a game of secrets, nobody comes out victorious." He cautioned. With that, Albus took his leave. Their conversation about Black would have to wait. When Severus was alone in the office with the child, he considered waking her, but realized that she must still be exhausted from the previous night. Instead, he sat at his desk grading papers. He heard her stir after about a half an hour. She sat up and groaned pushing her Potter hair off of her face.  
"Professor?" She called out. Severus rose from his desk and sat beside her on the couch. "Good morning." He nodded towards her. The silence was deafening. The child stared at him as if she were searching for words.  
"Are you OK?" He asked her.  
"I don't know." She replied, shrugging. Severus closed his eyes, then he opened them again, "come here." He directed, opening his arms slightly. Severus was not aware of another time in his life that he had initiated a hug. Sure, Lily had hugged him, but that was always of her own volition. Rose did not hesitate before throwing herself into him, she wrapped her arms around his torso and hung on. Severus reciprocated and held her to him. It felt strange, but not unpleasant. Almost immediately, the girl began to cry on him. "Severus I'm so sorry I don't hate you, I was just scared and upset."  
"I know child. I was not cross with you. You just frustrate me. I try to teach you not to use violence but you disregard me at every turn." Severus explained.  
"I know, but I didn't understand what Malfoy was saying about my mother, and I just hate not knowing. It made me so angry."  
"What did he say?" Severus questioned, leaning back into the couch allowing the child to rest herself on him. "He asked me if she really bled mud when she died. Then Goyle called her a Mudblood."  
Severus stiffened. He was sure the girl had noticed. "It's bad isn't it?" She asked him innocently. His mind flashed back to his fifth year… he had called Lily the exact same name… Cringing, Severus wracked his brain for words to explain to the girl what it meant.  
"Rose…" He started. "Mudblood is a derogatory term in the wizarding world for a person who is muggleborn. It is in reference to dirty blood, as opposed to pure blood."  
"Muggleborn, like Hermione then?"  
"Yes. Like Miss. Granger, and like your mother."  
"Sir, if my mother was a muggleborn and my father a pureblood, what does that make me?" She asked looking up at him.  
"The term is half-blood."  
"What are you Severus? Were your parents wizards?"  
Severus eyes darkened and he turned away from the child so that she would not see. "My mother was a witch, and my father a muggle." He told her curtly. "You should not pay much attention to people's blood status, it has no bearing on character or magical ability."  
"Oh, I know that sir, have you met Hermione?"  
Severus wanted to change the subject, these questions were becoming dangerously close to others that he did not desire to answer at this time.  
"Tell me child, did you survive your detention in the defense office last night?" This time it was the girl who became tense. She brought her arms forward to wrap around her stomach, still leaning against him. This behavior, he noted was common when she was remembering unpleasant details. "It wasn't great." Was all she responded. "Did you have an outburst?" He asked, know full well that she had.  
"Yes."  
"Tell me about it." He nudged gently.  
"I just walked in and couldn't talk. I didn't want Moony to touch me, I didn't want to be there. I freaked out, and he made me freak out worse, and then I calmed down and we talked."  
"But you didn't tell him?"  
"I can't." Her voice was strained now. "I can't talk about it."  
"Very well. What did you talk about then?" He changed the subject.  
"Mostly my dad." Severus made a face. He was determined not to talk about James Potter with Rose. It would not end well.  
"Are you comfortable in Lupin's presence then?" He asked her seriously.  
"Of course, professor. He is very nice to me."  
"Nice or good?" He pushed.  
"Good I think." She smiled. "Don't worry though Severus, I still like you best."  
Severus cringed again. The girl would not be so fond of him when she inevitably learned of his past. For now though, he helped her up and made sure that she went upstairs to eat before class.  
A/N- Does anybody want to see Remus' perspective or shall I just leave Severus and Rose as the narrators? Let me know in a review or a PM.


	28. Chapter 28

The next week flew by and Rosie was excited because she had her first quidditch game of the year on Sunday. She had been training hard, and knew that they could win the match against Hufflepuff. The week after the match would be their first Hogsmeade visit. After the evening in detention with Moony, Rosie had been feeling ok. She always had Lockhart in the back of her mind, but she had been able to focus mostly on her school work and friends for the majority of the week. This made her slightly nervous. It was typical for her to go a while without problems and then to be thrust back into them quicker than she was prepared to be. The other thing concerning Rosie right now was Moony. If she had thought that he looked exhausted a week ago, he was positively death walking now. She kept bringing him chocolate and sweets trying to cheer him up, but he remained without energy. He still taught with vigour, but outside of class, he could barely hold a conversation. Last night, Rosie had even gone to the defense office on purpose to make sure that her professor was alright, but he had not been there.  
That day, Rosie had potions, arithmancy, defense, and then transfigurations. In defense class, Moony was late. They waited and waited, but he never came. Instead, Severus showed up to teach. The class informed the potions professor that they were in the midst of studying Kelpies, but Severus was adamant that they skip further into the textbook. For some reason, her professor decided that today was the day that they would be learning about werewolves. Rosie was confused, but she respected Severus, so she went along with it. About half way through the lesson, she got a sneaking suspicion that Severus was trying to send her a message. He had been calling on her to answer constantly, which was out of character. Typically, he left her alone in classes. However, that day, he seemed especially concerned with Rosie's ability to tell the difference between a regular wolf and a werewolf. Talking about werewolves just made her remember Lockhart's strange false stories that he had put in her mind. He said that he'd fought one. Rosie did not understand what he was trying to say until he started discussing the characteristics of people inflicted with lycanthropy. Severus described someone who had a hard time finding work, was often isolated, was of low energy that got progressively worse as the month went on… Basically, Severus had looked her in the eyes and described Moony. Hermione picked up on it as well because in the middle of his speech her friend nudged her arm and passed her a note.  
Rosie is he talking about P. Lupin?   
Rosie was confused. If Moony was a werewolf, why wouldn't Severus have just told her in private. It didn't need to be this big production. It kind of made sense, who on earth would have the moon as their boggart if not a werewolf? Rose felt like Severus was doing this so that she would find out about Moony, but she also suspected that he wanted everyone to put the pieces together. Why else would he teach an entire class on it? Feeling a bit annoyed on Moony's behalf, as soon as Hermione passed her the note, Rosie stood up from her seat and walked to the front of the room. She could feel the weight of the collective stare on her back. Quickly, Rosie took out the note from Hermione and handed it to Severus, glaring at him as she did so, then she turned and walked out of the classroom.  
She stalked down towards the great hall deciding to go out for a walk. On the way, she tucked a couple sandwiches from the tables into a cloth and brought them out with her. Rosie felt like she might be out there a while. Still brooding, Rosie reached the black lake and decided to stop and have a seat under the big tree. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a flash of black move from behind a bush.  
"Hello?" Rosie called.  
No answer. She waited, and nothing happened. Taking out the cloth that she had wrapped the sandwiches in, Rosie made to open it. Suddenly, as if he could sense the presence of the food, a large black dog came sauntering over towards her from the spot in the bushes that had rustled. Rosie smiled, she loved dogs.  
"Hi there." She said again motioning for him to come closer. Reaching out her hand, she tested to make sure the dog was friendly. He sniffed her hand and then licked it.  
"Ewe!" I was just going to eat! She giggled. The dog looked at the food and let his tongue hang out. He was salivating.  
"Are you hungry?" She asked him. The dog whimpered softly. Rosie could eat later she decided. Holding out the sandwiches towards the pup, she watched with enthusiasm as he gobbled them down. "Come sit with me." She commanded, motioning for him to stay. The dog gave her a strange look, it was almost like he wanted to speak… but he came over and laid next to her. Before Rosie knew what she was doing, she began to vent her annoyance to the canine.  
"You know, I don't know why Severus wouldn't just tell me in person that Moony is a werewolf." She spat. The dog's ears perked up and he turned to look at her. "I don't know how he wanted me to react, or if he thought I would be upset…" She trailed off.  
"Maybe it's because I was raised by muggles. What do you think?" She gave the dog a meaningful stare. "Of course, you have no idea. What does it matter anyways? I love dogs. Werewolves sound just like big dangerous dogs. It's not like he's a werewolf all the time, just one night a month."  
"It's kind of like a girl getting her period" Rosie reasoned. The dog coughed… it almost sounded like a laugh. "That must be what Moony meant when he said that something had happened to him as a child. I wonder if he is ashamed of it." Beside her, the dog whimpered. She pat its head and continued in thought. "Do you think I should pretend that I don't know?" Rosie asked the dog, like he would understand. It just whimpered again. "Maybe I should just march up to his office, give him a hug and tell him that I don't care."  
The dog began to wag its tail vigorously. "You think I should do that?" She laughed as she scratched behind his ears. "Ok. Thanks for the advice sweetie." Rosie cooed to the pup. Taking its head in her hands she smothered his face in kisses and smoothed the fur down its back. "You are just the cutest boy." She doted. "Come around more often." Rosie said. "I'll start bringing food when I go out."  
Waving goodbye to the dog who seemed to be watching her go, Rosie set off towards the defense office. She was going to confront Moony.  
When Rosie arrived at the office, she tried not to pay attention to her surroundings. She bypassed the couch, and the coat hanger and pretended that she was somewhere else. There was no time for trauma, she was on a mission. Arriving at the door, which she knew led to the professor's chambers, Rosie knocked loudly.  
When she received no answer, Rosie knocked again, and called out,  
"Moony, please come to the door, it's important." In her strongest voice.  
It took about thirty seconds, but very slowly, the door began to creak open. In front of her stood Moony, but she had not been expecting him to look the way that he did. Her professor was dressed in blue striped pajamas and it was obvious that he was walking with a limp. His skin was red and blotchy and he looked as though he might collapse.  
"Rose, what's wrong?" He croaked, his voice was faint.  
"Moony!" she yelled, her eyes stinging. Rosie lunged forward wrapping her arms around him. Moony wobbled. She tried to hold him up, but she was too short. "Please let me help you lie down." Rosie begged pulling him in through the door of his own chambers and helping him settle on the couch. "I wasn't expecting you to be so ill." She whispered, a few tears running down her face.  
"Rose, what are you doing hear?" Moony muttered.  
"I came to see you." She confessed, tears now streaming down her cheeks. Her lifted his hand weakly trying to wipe them away but Rosie took hold of it instead. "Rosie, you shouldn't be here, I might be contagious, I don't want you to get sick." He told her. "You're not contagious Moony." She stated back, her voice calm.  
"Rose?" He questioned, confusion flashed across his face.  
"I know what happened to you when you were a child professor." Moony's face contorted in pain and he closed his eyes. "Oh." Was all that he replied. She squeezed his hand. His eyes stayed closed, but his face revealed an internal struggle.  
"Moony… Severus once told me that I should be wary of people who are nice. He said that just because someone is nice to me doesn't mean that they are a good person. At first, I wasn't sure if you were just nice, or if you were truly good. After how you helped me during detention the other night… Well… the next day I told Severus that I thought you were good." She began to explain.  
"Rose… listen, I want nothing more than to be good, to you, and for you… I promise I would never hurt you."  
"Moony, you didn't let me finish." She chastised him lightly. "I'm not worried about my safety. I was trying to say that I know you are a good person. It doesn't matter if you're a werewolf, a vampire, or a grindylow, I don't care." Rosie emphasized.  
"Oh Rosie, I want that to be true, you have no idea how much sweetheart…but I'm dangerous, you have to realize that."  
"Moony, you transform one night a month… How dangerous can you possibly be?" she reasoned. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm sure Severus won't let me anywhere near where you are on the full moon."  
Moony's eyes flashed. "Did Severus tell you?" He asked, looking down.  
Rosie cringed. "We had a particularly informative lecture on werewolves today in defense." She confirmed. "It was directed at me though. I think Hermione and I were the only ones that got the message. Everyone else was asleep."  
"Ah." He replied softly.  
Just then, from the open doorway into the defense office, Rosie heard the distinctive voice of her potion's professor. "I thought I would find you here." He drawled, his eyes fixed on Moony. "Hi Severus." Rosie replied evenly.


	29. Chapter 29

"I hope you do not intend to make a habit of leaving my classes child." Severus warned her.  
"Well I hope you don't make a habit of exposing people's private secrets in class" Professor Severus." Rosie retaliated, crossing her arms.  
"Potter… Rose… I did not expose any secrets, it is not my fault that you and your friend are much more perceptive than the rest of the students in your class."  
"Severus Snape do not lie to me. It was rude and cruel and spiteful and it doesn't matter that you don't like Moony. I don't think Moony likes you much either but he's never told me anything about you." From beside her, Moony raised his hands to his face to cover his expression and groaned. Rosie patted his arm.  
"Rose… it was necessary that you be made aware of Lupin's condition… Merlin knows he wasn't going to tell you himself."  
Moony piped up from the couch. "I'm sorry, why was it necessary Severus?" He quizzed. Rosie nodded in agreement.  
"Forgive me for not wanting to place you in the home of a dark creature without your full knowledge of the situation." Severus drawled, his tone was sarcastic.  
"Place me in the home of…" Rosie trailed off, her eyes widened and she turned to stare at Moony. His expression was hard to read.  
"You want Rose to live with me?" Moony asked incredulously.  
"I do not have much of a say in the matter. Albus wants her to live with you."  
Moony turned to Rosie, "Forgive me sweetheart, it's not that I don't want that… more that anything in the world… but Severus, you are fully aware that I am incapable of supporting even myself financially. I do not see how I could support myself along with a child."  
"Luckily, the Potters had the good sense to leave a large inheritance for their only daughter as well as a fund for the child's continued care in the event of their death. The funds will be transferred to you as opposed to the Dursleys."  
"Wait… The Dursleys were paid to care for me and they still…" Rosie started at the same time that Moony said, "I cannot accept money from James and Lily."  
Severus held out his hand to silence Rose gently. "You are in the will Lupin, and because her previous godfather is no longer in the picture, it was Rose's parents wishes that she be cared for by yourself."  
Rosie could tell that Moony had not been privy to any of these discussions. "Where will she go on the full moon?" He asked slowly. "For the time being, I will come to collect her and she will stay with me." Severus confirmed.  
"Excuse me." Rosie piped up.  
"That is of course, if Rose is comfortable with the arrangement." Severus turned to stare at her. "Yes, yes however you guys feel like tossing me around is fine. I have some questions though." She interjected, her voice strained.  
"Go on…" Severus drawled.  
"The Dursleys were paid to take care of me?"  
"Yes." Her professor confirmed. "I can only assume from your level of surprise that the quality of care was not up to standard." He continued.  
"That was not exactly the expression that I was going to use, but I guess you could say that." Rosie responded tersely.  
"What is your other question Rosie dear?" Moony asked weakly from beside her. She was still on the floor next to him. Severus had come to sit on the arm of another couch in Moony's chambers  
"Erm. yeah… who was my original godfather if it wasn't Moony?"  
Both men were silent. That was all the answer that Rosie needed. "It was Sirius Black then?" She asked, already knowing the answer.  
"Yes." Replied Severus. "Ok, please, while we are all sharing, what the hell happened with Sirius Black?" Rosie sighed loudly.  
"Watch your tone." Severus glared.  
Rosie was frustrated now. She turned to Moony and demanded again, "Tell me, please Moony."  
"Rose… when you parents found out that He-Who-Must-Not- Be-Named was coming after them, they decided to go into hiding." Moony started. Severus appraised the other man coldly. "They used a spell called the fidelius charm to hide their house in Godric's Hollow. However, this charm requires that a secret keeper is assigned. The secret keeper is the only person aware of the location of the house and the only person that can share that location, so, your parents chose somebody that they trusted infinitely."  
"Sirius Black." Rosie answered.  
"Yes, Sirius Black."  
"and…" Rosie stared.  
"Well, sweetheart, nobody was aware that Sirius had become a death eater. He was always so against dark magic." Moony cringed visibly.  
"I'm sorry, but what on earth is a death eater?" Rosie asked. Moony did not answer, he just turned to stare at Severus.  
"Severus, what is a death eater?" She directed her question to him now. Her potions professor's eyes widened slightly. "Death eater is the name that the Dark Lord used to refer to his followers." Severus' voice was cold as ice. The atmosphere in the room became quite uncomfortable for a moment. Rosie wasn't sure why.  
"Ok, got it. So, Sirius Black is the reason Voldemort found my parents then." Rosie stated blankly.  
"Don't say his name." Severus sneered. Rosie put her hands up in surrender. She was grumpy.  
"Perfect. So, to sum up this whole conversation, Moony is a werewolf…" he flinched beside her. "Severus you hate Moony for some reason, so you decided to tell me through your passive aggressive defense lesson, Sirius Black is still after me, and he is the reason that my parents died, and the dark lord…" Rosie mocked Severus. "picked the silliest name in the world for his followers."  
"Rose." Severus warned. "Ah, also, I get to live with you and Moony this summer. When I'm done being pissed off, I'm sure I'll be very happy about all of that." Rosie barked. She got up, gave Moony a small kiss on the forehead and glared at Severus. She left through the door to the defense office, and into the hallway. Rosie had a quidditch practice to attend.  
Severus sighed.  
"She's not a simple child, that's for sure," Lupin admitted, his voice still soft.  
"Are you positive that you will be able to handle her… particular energy in your condition?" Severus sneered down at the wolf.  
"I was not the one that she was cross with Severus. You know, there are many things that I could tell that girl… things that would make you feel the way that I do right now…" Lupin threatened. "But I wouldn't." The man added sincerely.  
Severus glared back. The wolf spoke again. "I wouldn't because I trust that despite your past, you have her best interests at heart. I only wish that you had extended the same courtesy to me."  
"Trust." Severus spat. "Blind trust is what made that girl an orphan in the first place Lupin. I will not make the same mistakes."  
The wolf flinched, and Severus stood to take his leave. "I assume you will be well enough to teach your own classes tomorrow?" He added. Lupin just nodded, and lay back on the sofa closing his eyes.


	30. Chapter 30

Rosie had not spoken to Severus since the Friday when she had learned about Moony. It was now Sunday, and she had forgotten all about him as she changed into her Gryffindor robes and strapped on her helmet. It was the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff quidditch match and Rosie was positively squirming with excitement. She stood huddled with the twins on the field, and they were hyping her up.  
"You got this Rosie. We believe in you." They cheered as they tossed the quaffle around. George tickled her and she giggled. Rosie looked up into the stands and saw that Severus was seated next to Dumbledore and was glaring down at the spot where she played with the twins. He was so moody. Then again, so was she. As the team prepared their formation, the Hufflepuff seeker came over to introduce himself to Rosie. He stuck out his hand.  
"Hi, I'm Cedric Diggory." The boy greeted warmly. Rosie knew who he was. Cedric was a fifth-year prefect.  
"Hello." Rosie said shyly and took his outstretched hand in her own.  
"Good luck out there today." He winked and Rosie blushed. "Thanks, you too." She responded. Her voice was soft.  
The game began, and Rosie was having a blast. She truly loved flying. The crowds cheered and booed as their respective teams scored, and Rosie searched fixedly for the snitch. At around the midpoint of the game, Rosie saw it. She the snitch at the same time that Cedric did. They both went for it, skyrocketing upward as quickly as they could, but Rosie's broom was faster. She almost had a hold of it when she began to feel a familiar chill in the air. Looking down briefly, Rosie realized that several of the school's dementors had begun to circle the pitch. Turning around wildly to look for the snitch again, she came face to face with one of the morose creatures on her right. Then she was no longer on the quidditch pitch.  
Lockhart was on top of her, his breath was sticky and warm. He was holding her arms down, and she was lying on her stomach. She cried out as he penetrated her. Rosie could barely breathe; her face was stuffed into the throw pillow on the sofa. Tears wet her cheeks, but she couldn't even gain enough momentum to struggle. He was too strong. "Rose" He moaned in her ear, his voice slick. "Sweet girl."  
When she came to, Rosie was not in the sky. She opened her eyes to find that she was in the familiar queen-sized bed that had been her safe spot since she first found out about Lockhart. Severus must have brought her here she thought. She wondered how long had passed since the game. Sitting up slowly, Rosie found herself mumbling, "Severus?"  
The potions master sat outside the open door to his bedroom waiting for the girl to wake up. He heard her stir from the other side, and call out his name. Within an instant, he was beside her, helping her settle into a sitting position. "Breathe deeply Rose." He instructed the girl. "What happened?" She turned to him, her expression was dazed. Severus tried to control his anxiety. The entire school including himself had just watched with bated breath as the girl fell two hundred meters off of her broom. The only reason that she was still alive was because Albus never panicked. Even Severus had frozen in that moment.  
"You fell." He reported shortly.  
"The dementor was right next to me." Her breathing was becoming erratic.  
"I know."  
The girl crossed her arms across her stomach again and brought her knees up to her chest curling into a ball. Severus reached out to rest his hand on her back but she flinched. "Sorry." Rose apologized softly. "I don't want to feel like this anymore. I don't want to have an outburst." She cried, but Severus could tell that is was coming. Her muscles were tensed and her expression blank. "Just let it out, you'll feel better child." He instructed her smoothly. Severus knew how to help her get it out. He wrapped his arms tightly around the girl from behind locking her in. She began to writhe and twist trying to get away from him. Her mind was lost to the world. Today, the painting on his bedroom wall flew off of its bindings and crash landed on the floor, splitting in two. Severus learned not to keep important objects in his room anymore. Almost instantaneously, Rose's body softened against him, her breathing became ragged and he could tell that she was done.  
"Better?" He asked.  
"Yeah." She stuttered out. "Why does it always happen this way?" She asked Severus quietly.  
"It seems that your body works itself up to a point or a threshold of no return, the only option for you to regain control is to release the tension that you have built up."  
"Are there any other ways to release tension?" Rosie asked him, her green eyes wide and desperate.  
Severus cringed. None that he was going to talk with Rose Potter about. "Unfortunately, I think that for now our best option is the learn to manage the outbursts as quickly and efficiently as we can." He told her. The girl frowned.  
"Severus?"  
"Yes?"  
"Will you just sit with me for a while?" She asked him innocently. "I just want to be close to someone."  
Sometimes Severus felt that even Albus might disapprove if he were aware exactly how the potions master behaved with this young child… especially considering Rose's history and his own past with Lily… but for especially those reasons, he found himself once again allowing the child to rest herself on him, taking comfort in the closeness. Severus could not refuse her when she gave him that look. Merlin, he hoped that the Dark Lord would never return, he did not know how he would navigate the complexity of his relationship with Lily's child, the Girl Who Lived with his service in the Order of the Phoenix.  
"Professor…Severus?" Rosie questioned her voice small. Severus nodded at her to continue. "Is there a way that I can learn to… fight off the dementors?  
He sighed, seeing this question coming. The Patronus charm was complicated and the girl's magic was unstable.  
"There is one charm…" He went on. "But it is very advanced."  
"Can you do the charm?" She asked him, her eyes hopeful.  
"I can… and so can your Wolf."  
"My Wolf? Severus don't be crude." She sighed. "I'd prefer you teach me sir. No offense to Moony, but I don't want him to see me like that up close and personal again."  
"Very well then. You will report to my office on Tuesday evenings." He instructed her. The girl smiled. "Though, might I suggest Rose… you are now aware in full depth the greatest shame of Lupin's existence… it might be noted as a kind gesture that you reciprocate and share with him your vulnerabilities."  
Rose frowned. "You don't share with me yours sir… and you have seen all of mine." She rolled her eyes. Severus glared, trust this child to turn the advice back on himself.  
"As you wish. Don't tell him a thing then, but do not complain later when you are cross with me and have nobody to turn to." He snapped. The girl had the audacity to stick her tongue out at him. Severus had never seen a more childish display of antics, but he supposed, what could he really expect from Rose Potter, who was indeed a child.  
Rosie had not stayed with Severus the night of her quidditch accident. He brought her up the great hall for dinner and then she had slept in her own dorm room with Hermione fussing over her wellbeing. The next day, Monday, everybody was buzzing about the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend. This trip would be a chance for everyone to take a break from their school stresses. Rosie felt slightly uncomfortable going with Ron and Hermione to the village. She felt as though she might be intruding on something. When Rosie had mentioned these concerns to Hermione the girl had brushed her off, but Rosie was still unsure. Trips to Hogsmeade, as she was quickly learning, were more often than not opportunities to go out on dates. She supposed that she hadn't quite realized that they were now considered eligible to date at Hogwarts. It was some sort of social pact, she was learning, that all houses seemed to respect. No first and second years, but third years are fair game for anyone under sixth year to take to Hogsmeade. This is how Rosie got caught up in her current situation. She had been having breakfast with her friends on Tuesday morning when Cedric Diggory got up from the Hufflepuff table, and approached her.  
"Hey Rose, you feeling better?" He asked her, referring to her fall during the match.  
"I am, thank you." Rosie replied with a small smile.  
"Hey… you know, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go to Hogsmeade with me on Saturday?" Cedric shot her a smile. "I could buy you a butterbeer, you know… since it will be your first time in the village."  
Ginny tapped on her hand excitedly form under the table, and Rosie's cheeks flushed. Hermione whispered something to Ron that made him turn beat red.  
"Yeah, that's sounds like fun." Rosie affirmed, returning Cedric's smile. He nodded, winked and turned back towards his table. As Rosie turned to her friends, and Hermione squealed. "Rosie! You just got asked to Hogsmeade by Cedric Diggory!" Ginny ogled. "He is only the most attractive guy in any house." Rosie's insides squirmed. It wasn't that she didn't want to go with Cedric… but there was still something so grown up about going on a date that she wasn't sure that she was ready for. Plus, Cedric was a fifth year, and he was older than all of the other fifth years. Everyone, had heard tell of his sixteenth birthday party in the Hufflepuff common room. Not wanting to share her concerns with anyone, Rosie just smiled and blushed along with her friends. That evening she knew that Severus would be expecting her for Patronus lessons. After dinner, Rosie went up to change into something comfortable mentally swearing to herself that she would not mention or think about anything regarding this date with her potion's professor. Somehow, she knew he would not approve.


	31. Chapter 31

Severus was waiting for Rose in the potion's office, his arms crossed. She was right on time, as usual, but the girl seemed nervous about something, not jumpy, just on edge.  
"Good evening." He greeted slowly. "Is everything alright?"  
The child smiled and nodded her head, "Yup, all good professor." Severus was not convinced.  
"Very well. I am going to teach you the charm first without the presence of a dementor, then, I will have the wolf loan us a boggart, so that you can practice with that. I see no use to us beginning with the boggart. It will needlessly upset you."  
"Why do you keep calling him the wolf?" Rose asked with a glare.  
"Why do you keep calling him 'Moony' when his name is clearly Remus?" He countered, smirking. Severus knew why. He had heard that nickname so many times in his life it was a miracle that the girl had never questioned what it meant. The child deepened her glare.  
"Frowning will not help you produce a Patronus."  
"Ok, fine, then how do I make one?" She was so naïve. Her attitude took him back to a different time, to a different set of green eyes. Rose came to sit next to him on top of the desk that he was leaning on.  
"The first step is to think of a happy memory."  
"What kind of happy memory?" She asked.  
"One that is pure elation, nothing that is clouded with other emotions."  
"Ok…" She responded, closing her eyes for a minute. "Got one."  
Severus nodded and then put his wand down. "Now, the charm moves in a circular motion like this…" He demonstrated with his hand, "and then the incantation is expecto patronum."  
"Ok, ok, I'll try." Rose sounded confident. She closed her eyes again and did the motion flawlessly, the incantation falling clearly off her tongue. The barest of mists shot out from the end of her wand. It was something at least Severus thought to himself.  
"Were you concentrating on the memory?" He asked her.  
"Yes!"  
"What memory did you use?"  
"Uh… when Hagrid told me that I was a witch." She responded smiling.  
"Did you feel anything else in that moment?"  
"Well… I was kind of cross with the Dursleys for hiding it from me."  
"Uh huh. Try to think of one that is pure, not mixed with any other emotions."  
Rose was silent for a long time. "I can't think of one." She finally admitted. Severus' brow furrowed. The girl obviously wasn't trying hard enough, even he had a happy enough memory to produce a patronus.  
"What about something from when you were a young child?" He prompted. "Our emotions tend to be purer then." That is where he himself had to draw from.  
"Uh… I set a snake on my cousin once."  
"I doubt that will work. How about your visits from Lupin?" Severus pushed.  
"Yeah, I guess I could try that." She nodded.  
"Expecto Patronum" The girl said sweetly, her wand motion impeccable once again. This time, a small wall of mist exploded from her wand. "Much better." He congratulated. He had her repeat the same wall of mist several more times until it grew slightly and then he called the lesson to an end.  
"That was a good first effort. I want you to keep looking for stronger memories this week, can you do that?"  
"Ok Sir." The child was very agreeable that night. Severus pulled from his robe pocket the signed Hogsmeade form for her and handed it over. "I expect you to be wise and make sane judgements while you are outside of Hogwarts grounds." He cautioned. "If you are ever in need of help, there is a pub called the 'Hog's Head.' The barman is the Headmaster's brother." Rose nodded and reached up from her spot on the desk to give him a quick hug before jumping down. "Thanks Severus. You're the best."  
The week passed quicker than Rosie would have liked. She was nervous for her date. Not having a mother meant that she had never had anyone explain this to her… and not having a father meant that she didn't really have a scary parental figure to keep boys in check. It was not common knowledge that Severus was Rose's guardian, and let's face it… nobody was intimidated by Moony. When Saturday came, Hermione and Ginny helped her get dressed. She left her hair down and long, and put on a pair of muggle jeans and an oversized knit sweater. Rosie wasn't one for dramatics. Her friends tried to persuade her to wear a dress, or put a bow in her hair, but she didn't want to lie to Cedric about who she was. Plus, he asked her out on a date after only seeing her in a uniform for three years. Ron and Hermione were planning to go off to some strange café with a French sounding name. Rosie walked with them down to the entrance hall and then they took off together down the path leaving her in wait.  
"Hey Rose!" She heard Cedric before she saw him coming up behind her on the path. He grinned and draped his arm around her shoulders right away like it was the most natural thing in the world. Rosie didn't flinch away. Instead, she smiled back.  
As they walked, Cedric talked. He made it very easy to keep up the conversation.  
"That's a lovely locket." And he reached out to touch it.  
"Thank you! It was a birthday gift from Severus." Rosie said. She realized that Cedric had no idea why Severus would give her a birthday gift when he blanched.  
"Wait… Like Severus Snape? I thought he was famous for hating you." The boy laughed.  
"He's kind of my guardian right now." She giggled back… "But yes, he did hate me."  
"What happened to make him like you?  
Oh, I was raped by our defense professor for half of last year. Rosie answered in her mind first. Instead, she shook her head and said, "I got sick last year, and he was ordered by the Headmaster to take care of me."  
"Wow, well then I guess I should be extra careful about what I say to you then." Cedric winked and chuckled.  
Rosie laughed too. The boy was really skilled at putting her at ease. She was so distracted that she didn't even notice when they passed the dementors. Cedric took her to the Three Broomsticks and bought them both butterbeers. Rosie liked it a lot. He asked her tons of questions about school, her friends, and about her interests. She learned that he was the only son of Amos Diggory, and that his mother had died in the first war alongside Rosie's own parents. Learning that made her feel closer to the boy. As he was in his OWL year, she asked him what he wanted to do when he finished school and he told her that he liked the idea of being an Auror, which is why he kept taking potions class even though he despised Professor Snape. Rosie giggled when he mentioned that.  
"Yeah, he's a bit prickly at first." She offered.  
"A bit? I do like the new defense professor though, what do you think?" He asked.  
"Well… I'm biased because he is going to be my guardian come summer, but I think he's pretty great."  
"What? You basically own the school then."  
"I suppose so." She replied with a wink.  
Cedric took her all over Hogsmeade, to the joke store and the candy store, and when they finally headed back up to the castle dusk was beginning to set over the grounds. This time, when they passed the dementors Rosie shivered, she could hear herself screaming inside of her mind and she began to feel that familiar pain. She hugged her arms around her chest pretending that she was cold. Cedric grabbed both her arms and rubbed them like he was trying to warm her up. Just before they reached the gate, the boy spun her around until she had her back to a side wall. Their faces were just inches apart. Rosie's breathing was becoming ragged. She was still thinking about the dementors and the memories that were now sitting forefront in her mind, the tension building up in her body. She could not do this here. Cedric closed the gap between them his lips meeting hers and suddenly the icy chill of the dementors was forgotten. The boy moved to pull away after a moment but Rosie stood on her toes and brought her lips to his once again. His eyes widened in surprise but he gleefully continued, his tongue exploring her mouth. Hands travelled down her back and his body was pressed up against her. The adrenaline worked its way through Rosie's system and she only allowed him to fall with her further into the moment. When he began to move himself against her Cedric pulled away, his chest heaving. "Rose, we should stop before…" He trailed off and his face fell into a lopsided grin. "You're right" she said… but all she wanted was to keep going. The earlier tension long gone, they walked into the castle, said their goodbyes, and left towards their respective dormitories. Rosie's face was still etched in a grin when she arrived at the portrait hole.


	32. Chapter 32

Rosie had been feeling increasingly guilty. That evening in her Patronus lesson, she sat on the desk as usual, but her heart was not in it. Her mind was weighted down with the thought of her frequent broom closet encounters with the fifth year Hufflepuff. It wasn't that she regretted snogging Cedric, it was that she knew it had to be a secret, and so, even though it felt good, Rosie still felt bad about it. Severus wouldn't understand. The adrenaline that she felt when her and the boy were together was something new for her, it was something that made her feel in control. Severus could tell that something was wrong with her, she knew it because he called off the lesson as soon as Rosie had walked in the room. Today was the day that they were supposed to practice with the boggart but she knew that he wouldn't let her if he suspected that there was something wrong.  
"In lieu of today's lesson, I would find it most agreeable if you would share with me whatever is on your mind…" Severus drawled. She was not good at lying to her professor, so, she decided to tell a half truth.  
"It's nothing you would be interested in sir. It's just some stuff with my friends."  
"What kind of stuff? He asked her, raising an eyebrow.  
"Well…" She started. "Ron and Hermione have been an unofficial couple now for a while and Hermione has been asking me her opinion on whether or not they should be, you know… physical, and I don't know what to tell her." Rosie spat out. The scenario sounded fake, because it was, but she blushed anyways. She hoped that the awkward subject would be a deterrent for Severus and that he would just drop it. Watching as her professor visibly cringed, Rosie realized that the plan was working.  
"Rose… I am of the opinion that at your age there should be absolutely no contact of that nature aside from innocent hand holding." He stated curtly. "You are all children, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley should find other activities to occupy their time."  
"What if they did already you know… snog and stuff, should I tell her to stop?" Rosie pressed, now masochistically curious about Severus' opinion. This time it looked like the potions master shuddered.  
"Those types of experiences should be saved for someone special, and there are consequences involved when they are experienced at a young age." He was visibly uncomfortable.  
"Like what type of consequences?" She asked.  
"Well, imagine that one day Granger and Weasley break up, they will have to admit to their next partner that they did not wait for the right person to have those experiences with."  
Rosie flinched. She could feel the hurt flash across her face. She had done that and much more with Professor Lockhart… and now she had been snogging Cedric. Wrapping her arms around her waist, Rosie looked down. Realizing what he had said, Severus stood up and came to face her where she sat on the desk. "Rose…I'm sorry. I should not have said that." He apologized, his voice sincere. "I'm never going to have that am I?" She asked him, her eyes wide. "I'm never going to be able to say that I waited for a special person."  
Severus sighed and closed his eyes. "Child… nobody in their right mind would hear what happened to you and think that it was on purpose."  
"And what if I don't want to tell them? Then I'm just lying all the time, pretending I haven't done something when I have" She cried, her eyes stinging now.  
Her professor nodded solemnly. I know and I am truly sorry that he took that from you."  
"Does that mean people will want me less?" Rosie whispered quietly.  
Severus' face contorted in horror. "No. Do. Not. Ever. Say. That." He growled and she flinched. "You are every bit as valuable as any other girl your age, do you understand me?"  
"But professor, you just said…"  
"I know what I just said, and it was wrong. It was old fashioned and it was wrong. I was not thinking."  
"Are you sure Severus?" Her voice was meek.  
"You are perfect exactly the way you are and with any experiences that you bring to the table, no matter what you do or what happens to you. Is that clear?"  
"Yes sir." She wiped away her tears. "Thanks for saying that."  
"Never doubt it." His voice was authoritative.  
"Erm… Severus, if we aren't doing my patronus lesson today, do you think you could show me yours? You know… so I can see how it's supposed to look." Rosie changed the subject.  
Rosie knew that Severus felt just guilty enough for what he had said to humor her. With a quick circle of his wand, what was only mist for her, came out as silver light for her professor. The light quickly shaped itself and changed its form into the beautiful figure of a doe. It did a graceful circle around the room before disappearing as swiftly as it had appeared. Rosie smiled. "Wow… Sir that was amazing." She marvelled. "Are patronuses always in the shape of does?"  
"No, they are not. The patronus takes the form of an animal that most represents your individual idea of a protector." That idea was puzzling to Rose because while Severus might be a doe in his heart, she would have pegged him for something different… maybe a dragon or something. She could not imagine why Severus would feel protected by a small woodland creature.  
"What do you think mine will be?" She grinned.  
He furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. "I would imagine a stag."  
"Why?" Rosie asked innocently.  
"That was your father's patronus." Was all that Severus offered.  
Rosie thought for a minute… that didn't really seem right. She did not connect her father with the idea of protection… despite how badly she wanted to. "Sir… I don't really think of my dad like that, I mean, I wish I did, but I've never met him." She sighed. Rosie quickly folded her hands and looked up to the sky… "please forgive me daddy." She said softly. When she looked back at Severus his face was stricken.  
"Child, I'm certain that there is very little that you could do that James Potter would not forgive you for." Rosie's eyes widened. "Did you really just say that?" She asked with a small smile.  
"Rose. Regardless of my hostility towards your father, you must learn to create your own perceptions. The man did die for you."  
"I remember thanks." Rosie shot back glaring.  
"You remember?" He asked, shocked. It reminded her of Moony for a second.  
"It's the only memory I have of them…"  
Something dark flashed across Severus' face, and then he gave her a meaningful look. "Will you show me the memory?" He asked, his eyes were pained. This was the most vulnerable she had ever seen him. Rosie wasn't sure if she was ready to handle a vulnerable Snape.  
"No." Rosie's voice was steady but her insides were not. She had never refused him anything before but she felt like it would be worse to see him react to her mother's death. They had obviously been good friends. Her professor's face hardened again. "I should not have asked." He turned around taking his gaze from her.  
When Severus dispatched her from the office, it was just on time. She had told Cedric to meet her upstairs by the fourth-floor corridor broom closet. Now Rosie was thankful that she had. That meeting had been far more intense than any session with a boggart would have been. Rosie needed to unwind. "Hey stranger." Cedric greeted her from the right and she winked back. They kind of had a routine now… talking was not really part of it. As Rosie's lips came up to meet his, he opened the door of the broom closet and guided her inside eagerly. With each new touch and new kiss, Rosie heard her own voice in the back of her head "Does that mean people will want me less?" but every time it resurfaced, she squashed it down, pulling the boy closer. She tried to keep Severus as far from her mind as possible. Even though he had said that it didn't matter what she did… Rosie knew that it would if he had known what she had really been thinking. He would not approve. Squashing that from her mind as well, she concentrated on the body against hers. Cedric was panting now, there was a hunger in his eyes that Rosie was sure was mirrored in her own. Instinctively, the boy's hands travelled up her shirt, resting on her bra exploring her chest with his hand. It was then that he suddenly froze and pulled away. "Rose, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…" but before he could finish, she had lunged forward again trapping him in another long kiss… before she realized what she was doing, her hands snaked around his waist, around his belt and she began to fumble with it. Cedric broke away again.  
"Rose, are you sure?" His voice was anxious. "I don't want to hurt you, we should stop." Guilt crept up her spine and flooded into her face. Did she really want to do this in a broom closet with Cedric Diggory? The white-hot pain of her last encounters was etched into her brain, the fear and the screaming. Rosie could feel the tension building up inside of her belly.  
"Please Cedric." She pleaded with him, winding her arms around his neck again. Just as the boy threw himself once again into the passionate kiss, her body pressed against his… the door to the broom closet swung open and the light was turned on.  
"Miss Potter." She heard, recognizing instantly the person who had found them. Her face burned red and Cedric moved himself away from her as quickly as possible, but his belt was still half undone. "Hi Moony." Rosie replied, her whole-body recoiling in embarrassment. Moony turned to Cedric, his face completely neutral.  
"Mr. Diggory, I think it is best that you return to your common room."  
Cedric nodded, his neck was bright red with shame. He shot her an apologetic glance and took off down the hallway. It was then that Rosie remembered that he was a prefect. She turned to look at the professor who was to be her guardian, "Moony…" She started.  
"Come along with me Rose." He interrupted her.  
Rosie followed him down a flight of stairs towards the defense office. He did not speak. Her head hung low. When they arrived at the office, she felt the familiar withdrawal of her body telling her not to enter, but it was easier to ignore now. Moony motioned for her to sit down on the couch and he started some tea. Handing her the hot cup, he did not sit next to her this time, but across in a different chair. The silence was uncomfortable. Rosie could not take it anymore, so she spat out the first thing that came to her mind. "Please don't tell Severus!"  
"I assumed that he was not privy to your nighttime antics." Moony said seriously  
"Please Moony, he wouldn't understand he would be so cross with me." She was desperate.  
"And why should I understand?" He asked.  
"Moony. I…" She trailed off.  
"Rose. Cedric Diggory is sixteen years old. He is three years older than you. If he's pressuring you to do something that you don't want to do, you need to let me know."  
"He is not!" Rosie was firm.  
"Rosie, sweetheart, I saw what you were doing… sometimes older boys might have different expectations than someone your age might have." He was obviously trying to be comforting.  
"Moony, I know what he wanted, trust me, I was the one pressuring him."  
"Honey, I'm just worried for you… I don't want you to do that in a broom closet for the first time with a boy you barely know."  
Rosie flinched. "Well then you'll be happy to know that it wouldn't have been my first time then and that Cedric is plenty nicer than the last one." Her voice was clipped.  
Moony's eyes widened. "What do you mean nicer than the last one Rosie?  
Panic began to creep into her chest. She did not want to get into this. "Nothing Moony, please just drop it." His face remained anxious.  
"Rose, sweetheart, listen to me. I can hear that something is wrong… having sexual experiences when you are not ready for them can be really damaging later on." He tried to reason with her.  
"I know that!" She cried and her eyes began to sting.  
"Then please, talk to me. Tell me what's going on."  
"I can't Moony! I can't talk about it!" The tears began to fall now.  
"Rosie… please try. For me." He stood up and knelt in front of her placing his hands on her shoulders.  
"You'll never look at me the same again." She sobbed.  
"Hey hey, where would you get that idea?"  
"Because it's sick and disgusting!"  
Moony looked at her solemnly. "There are many that would say that I am sick and disgusting as well…" He trailed off. "You have not treated me even an ounce differently since finding out my secret, I would have no right to treat you any different."  
Moony stroked her face wiping the tears away from her eyes. "Last year, two evenings a week, every week, for four months, I had detention with my last defense professor in this office." Rosie started.  
Confusion passed across Moony's face. "That's a lot of detention sweetheart, but what does that have to do with why you're upset?" Rosie squeezed her eyes shut and flinched. "You asked me what I meant when I said that Cedric was a lot nicer than the first one." Moony nodded. "Well… he was the first one. Right here, on that couch." She breathed gesturing to the sofa behind her. Her professor's eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up.  
"You mean to tell me that your last defense professor forced you to…"  
Rosie just nodded before lunging forward and burying her face into Moony's robes hiding her shame. He caught her expertly and let out the breath that she knew he'd been holding in. There was a long pause. Rosie didn't cry, she just hid her face. Moony held onto her without speaking. His scent was comforting as usual as she buried herself into the crook of his neck.  
"Rose… I don't know what to say." He admitted quietly.  
"He used a memory charm on me so that I would forget… but it started catching up with me. I didn't know what was going on, so I went to Severus."  
"That's why the dementors affect you so profoundly." Moony muttered.  
"On the train…that was the first time I remembered for myself."  
"Remembered for yourself?"  
"Severus got the memories from …him, and watched them with me."  
"Is this man still alive?" Moony asked her, his voice was strained.  
Rosie nodded. "Ok sweetie." Moony was calm as he rubbed circles on her back.  
Rosie breathed a sigh of relief. That hadn't been so bad, and now Moony knew. He didn't seem cross with her, or disgusted… he just seemed like normal Moony. They sat down together on the sofa as Rosie lay against him, she felt herself drifting off to sleep in his arms. He continued rubbing circles on her back until she could no longer remember, and the world turned black.


	33. Chapter 33

Remus sat on the couch with his head in his hands next to the girl as she slept. He had covered her with a blanket and she had not stirred. He was in absolute shock. Barely able to react to what Rose had told him when she was awake, he was doing an even worse job now. It was hard to believe, to picture what the child told him. Remus had witnessed a lot of evil in his life, but this, this was a different type of evil. It was insidious and vile. Rubbing his temples, he tried to discern what his next steps should be. Obviously, Severus was aware, which meant that Albus knew as well. There was nothing to be done, Remus was late to the party on this one. He shuddered as Rose shifted in her sleep, picturing her helpless figure beneath some monster crying out for help on this very sofa. This was the same baby that he had held on the very day that she was born, sworn to protect. This was the child that his best friends had died for and Remus had done absolutely nothing to protect her.  
He looked up when he heard a quick knock at the door of the office. Without chance to invite the visitor in, the door opened. It was Severus, Wolfsbane potion in hand and a scowl on his face as usual. When he laid eyes on the sleeping girl next to Remus he stopped in his tracks.  
"Lupin, I was not aware that you had a visitor."  
Remus just stared up at the man, a pained expression twisting on his face. His eyes were watery. Severus looked from his face to Rose's probably noting the tear tracks that marred the girl's own pale cheeks. It was clear that he was able to determine the source of their mutual sadness because he did not make a snide remark. Instead, he silently walked over toward Rose's head, bent down, and stroked her cheek, moving a piece of hair out of her face as she slept. Remus had never seen the bat-like man behave so gently with anyone before, not even Lily. He imagined how James would react, seeing his most bitter enemy so involved with his only child. Lily would be proud. He knew that she had felt the loss of Severus deeply. After a few moments of silence, Severus spoke.  
"How did you react? That will be important to her." He asked smoothly.  
"I didn't really…" Remus responded. "I just let her talk, you know, let it out until she fell asleep."  
"Good." Was all that he responded.  
"What can I do?" Remus choked out after another minute had passed.  
"Don't change the way that you behave in the slightest. That will be what she will zone in on. Don't bring it up unless she does. If she does bring it up, do not stifle the conversation. Sometimes she asks inane questions about the man, or about sexual intercourse in general in an attempt at reason. Answer them to the best of your ability."  
"That's it? Just pretend that it never happened?"  
"That is not what I said. Integrate it into your interactions with her, but do not overwhelm. You will know when you've crossed a line."  
"Is she afraid of anything… physical? Should I avoid touching her, she's never seemed upset before." Remus asked remembering vividly the conditions in which he recovered Rose that evening.  
"Quite the contrary. She is starved for healthy physical contact. The girl is not fearful of anyone but herself and the man responsible. Rose is foolish. The best thing that you can do for her is to keep her out of the hands of Sirius Black and anyone else associated with the Dark Lord." Severus finished shooting him a meaningful glare. Remus raised his eyebrows and turned his gaze towards the man's left wrist. "Not me you imbecile."  
He thought about telling Snape about Cedric Diggory, but Rosie's terrified face passed through his mind. It was apparent that Rose did not feel comfortable with Severus knowing about her exploits. Remus understood. Unfortunately for James, the potions master was the closest thing to a father figure that she'd ever had. Snape had said himself that Rose was starved for healthy physical contact… maybe she needed to do this to feel comfortable with intimacy. Remus didn't want to think about James and Lily's baby having sex, but he also didn't want to be the reason that she couldn't have sex in the future. Trauma was funny that way. He resolved to try and keep the discussion open with Rosie… make her feel comfortable talking about it with him and make sure that she was being safe. That sounded a lot more agreeable to him than handing this particular matter over to Severus.  
"I'd like you to take the girl on an outing over the Christmas Break." The potions master started…  
"An outing? Whatever for?" Remus asked. That came out of nowhere.  
"I will not fight with Albus on the matter of Rose's guardianship."  
"What does that have to with the holiday break?'  
"The child needs to become comfortable viewing you as her parent… more than her professor."  
"Severus, I highly doubt that I will ever be Rose's parent, I am by no means an authoritarian figure." He chuckled.  
"Be that as it may, if she is to live with you, your relationship must progress." Severus almost snapped.  
"I would have expected you to keep her." Remus stated calmly.  
"Were that possible, I would not hesitate. However, if there is ever a time in which my particular services… will be of use to Albus once again, it would be absolutely unfathomable that she be in my care." The man's expression was blank.  
His eyes widened. Remus did not realize that Severus was intending to continue as a spy for the order in the event of you-know-who's return. "Ah." Was all that he could muster as a response. He hoped that day would never come. Remus had a sudden vision of himself trying to explain to Rose where Snape had gone and cringed. As if suddenly realizing that he had been in the presence of a werewolf too long, Severus stood and glared at him again. Without so much as a goodbye, he swept from the room. Remus' head fell into his hands again.


	34. Chapter 34

The next day, Rosie wasn't sure how she had gotten back to her dorm bed in Gryffindor Tower but she had. There was a note tucked on the pillow beside her that read,  
Thank you, Rosie, for the unfaltering confidence that you have placed in me. Know that yours secrets as well as your trust are safe in my hands. – Moony   
She breathed a sigh of relief. Moony didn't hate her, and he wasn't going to tell Severus about Cedric. As soon as the relief settled, shame flooded in. Moony knew what had happened to her. She hated that those images would be burned into his brain too. Even though she knew that Severus would never show him Lockhart's memories… Rosie was sure that he would use his imagination. Quickly contemplating her day, she realized that she did not want to go to class. Instead, she threw on tights and a jumper, left her hair loose, and decided to go for a long walk around the grounds. She was sure that when she did not turn up for potions, Snape would be all over her, but that still gave her an hour and half for a good walk… maybe two hours if Severus had trouble finding her. Descending the stairs into the great hall, Rosie let the air out that she'd been holding in when she saw that the potions master was no longer in the Great Hall. Quickly wrapping some sausages in a napkin, she began the trek outside.  
When Rosie reached the other side of the black lake, well out of sight, she was pleased to a familiar snout peeking out from behind a large rock. "Hey sweetie!" She called to the large black dog who had acted as her confidant the last time that she had come out here. The dog bounded over to her with an exuberance that Rosie only wished she could feel. He was still skinny. Unwrapping the sausages, she sat down and held them out to the mutt. Unsurprisingly, he gobbled them down within seconds. "What a good boy you are." She cooed. The dog responded to her touch and nuzzled her shoulder.  
"I told Moony that I knew about the wolf thing." She relayed. The dog wagged its tail. "I still can't believe that he caught me with Cedric in that closet. I wanted to die." Rosie began to rant. The dog choked on something. "I just wish it could have been a normal thing. You know? I wish I was just like every other girl and that people wouldn't get suspicious when I act like one." The canine tipped his head as if to say, "huh."  
"It doesn't always have to turn into 'Oh…. Poor Rosie was defiled by her defense professor all of last year so she can't ever snog anyone or have sex in case she explodes!'" Rose sighed, her voice exasperated and her tone vulgar. Her mangy friend looked as though he had been passed over by a dementor. His hackles were up and his whole body seemed to be on alert. A small growl escaped from his mouth.  
"What is it boy?"  
He just whimpered. The sound was long and low. Rosie looked around for signs of danger, but she didn't see anything. "At least he didn't tell Severus. I couldn't bear that." She added. Rose realized how strange this dog was. It was acting almost uncomfortable… but made no motion to leave her side. "Honestly, I don't even think that rape is the same thing as sex, I am scared to find out, but I don't think it is. When I'm with Cedric… you know… I want to." She patted the dog's head trying to relax him. It was nice to contemplate these things out here alone with nature. Her companion was still rigid. "Hey, calm down pup, you're fine." She ran her fingers along the length of his spine. Rosie stayed there with the dog, entangling her fingers through his long dirty fur until she had fallen asleep against the stone.  
Severus was furious. He trudged along the lake path fuming. How dare the girl be so reckless as to cut his class and go exploring. She knew very well the danger that Black posed. After almost half an hour of manic searching, Severus spotted Rose Potter's small figure slumped up against a rock next to some sort of creature. As he approached, fists clenched, the creature stood. It was a dog, or a grim, Severus was not sure. The grim began to growl menacingly as he moved towards the sleeping child.  
"Get out of my way mutt." He snapped and Rose woke up with a start. Her green eyes widened, but she quickly stood up and held the dog back. "It's ok Sweetie, it's just Severus." The girl soothed. Severus sneered. "What is the meaning of this you insolent, ungrateful, idiot child?" He could feel the rage building up in his system. The canine growled louder and tried to snap at him. "Go away!" The girl cried to the dog. "Just run away, please." She pushed the grim away from them and watched as it walked back several feet and then turned around to stare. "Sever…" but before Rose could utter a word, he interrupted her. "Do you have any idea how worried we have been? How could you be so selfish, does your life mean nothing to you?" He continued angrily.  
"I have Lupin searching the other side of the castle. You have wasted both of our mornings for what? So that you could go on a walk? You are just like your father, you do whatever you want with no regard for anyone else, strutting about he grounds like him, and bound to die like him if you keep this idiocy up."  
Pain flashed across the girl's face, through her wide eyes. The grim had gone, and now it was just himself and Rose alone. His heart clenched as she stared up at him with that expression. Severus had to look away. "I'm sorry!" She cried, lunging forward and wrapping her arms around him. With her face buried in his robes, he could barely make out what she was trying to say. Breathing deeply and closing his eyes Severus began to regain his composure. He held the child as she cried into his robes, her tears a product of his cruel words. James Potter was the one thing that he had promised he wouldn't bring up with Rose and he had done it. Why? Because she had decided to go for a walk to clear her mind the morning after a traumatic evening. Severus truly loathed himself.  
They walked back to the castle in silence, but Severus knew that Rose was on the brink of an outburst. Her whole body was rigid as if she were in a body bind, her breathing short and sharp, face twisted with the effort that it took to remain in control. He had no intention of letting her go off alone once they reached the castle, but as they approached the door, it was made aware that two students were having a physical altercation. Severus put a stop to it, only to turn around and find the girl gone once again.


	35. Chapter 35

Rosie was really messed up. She knew that. One moment she felt like a little girl, crying on and hugging her professor, letting him comfort her, and then next minute she felt the overwhelming urge to snog somebody senseless. That, was a kind of comfort that Severus could not give her and she was beginning already to feel dependent on that to bring herself down from this heightened state of tension. She wanted to do it on her own. Rosie did not want to feel like she had to sob and break down every time she got upset. The desire for control led her to seek out Cedric, who she found relatively easily, and to drag him into an abandoned drawing room on the third floor.  
"Rose! What in Merlin's name?" Cedric started… but Rosie swooped him up into a fiery kiss before he could say anything more. He pulled away.  
"Woah, hold on one sec. Didn't we just get busted by Professor Lupin last night for this?"  
"Yes, it's fine, he wasn't even mad, he's not going to rat me out to Severus."  
Cedric's eyebrows shot up, and Rosie tried to pull him closer. This time, he accepted in full fervour. She let his tongue slide easily into her mouth and his hands down her body. With less hesitation than the previous night, Cedric found himself under her shirt. Rosie took this as an invitation at his belt and it came of without trouble. This was definitely the furthest they had gotten, and the boy's eyes were cloudy with lust. She could now properly feel his arousal against her. As he usually did, Cedric pulled back, "Rose, I don't know if I feel right about this. We aren't even dating, and you are younger than me… I don't want to… you know, take your virginity." He coughed out.  
Rosie smiled, "Don't worry, you won't be." She confirmed with a wink and his eyes widened with understanding. "Ok, that makes me feel better." He growled and brought her closer to him once again. As much as she was encouraging, and enjoying herself, there was still fear lingering in the back of her mind. It was a fear of pain, the searing pain that had left her unable to scream. She tried to stuff it out of her mind because it was too late to turn back now with Cedric. Trying to relax her body and concentrate on him, Rosie barely noticed when his pants came off, nor hers. She was masking her nerves with overconfidence, pretending that this was no big deal.  
"Please Cedric." She whispered, reassuring him on, squashing every instinct that told her to stop that instant. He entered her slowly. Her body stiffened, and he began to move. Cedric kept kissing her, which helped to take her mind off of how rigid she was. It was painful, but not like before, and with the pain came some semblance of pleasure. The pain eased off after a few minutes and it was replaced by an uncomfortable fullness. The fullness, combined with a few sporadic releases within her, softened her muscles. The tension both from her fight with Severus and her nerves had faded. This activity was all consuming. Cedric was obviously enjoying himself which made Rosie glad. She could tell he was done, because he let out a small grunting noise and collapsed onto her.  
"Blimey Rose, that was incredible." The boy whispered in her ear still panting.  
"Yeah it was." Rosie lied. She wasn't lying because it had been bad, but it hadn't been amazing either. Torn between feeling proud to have been able to have sex, and disappointed because it wasn't as nice as she had been hoping, Rosie sat up and they began to get dressed. The point had been to successfully bring her down from that overwhelming state of anxiety, and for all intents and purposes it had worked. Cedric was smirking. "Do you want to go get something to eat in the kitchens?" He asked her. Rosie thought about it and decided that she had been neglecting her friends too much lately. It would probably be better to eat lunch with them. "It's ok Cedric don't worry about it." She smiled back and touched his chest softly. He was very handsome. They exited the drawing room and parted ways. Definitely not for the first time in her life, Rose felt liquid trickling down the side of her thighs and rushed to the bathroom to clean it up. When she was done, she headed down towards the great hall for lunch. Hermione would be cross with her for skipping both potions and arithmancy. Severus would be livid because she had run away from him again. Merlin forbid he try to read her mind.  
On her way down from the third-floor bathroom, Rosie was not looking where she was going and crashed into a familiar body, which knocked her backwards. "Now you see fit to reappear." Severus drawled, obviously not amused. She looked up but avoided his eyes scared that he would try to get into her mind. "I'm sorry." Rose mumbled softly. He bent down to meet her eye level and she turned away. Immediately she knew that this was a mistake. He was aware that she was aware of his abilities with legilimency. "Rose. Please make eyes contact with me." He commanded. Panicking for a second, Rose suddenly had an idea, and flooded her mind with the image of James Potter. She used the face from the photograph that Moony had found for her, and she tried to project sadness. Turning to look at him, she could feel the probes of his spell on her mind. He pulled out quickly and Rosie knew that it had worked. Severus cringed. "I am sorry about what I said earlier. I should not speak badly of your father to you." He confessed, but his nose shrivelled like he even the idea of her father still disgusted him. Rosie was too distracted to care really.  
"I'm sorry for being a pain today." She started… "Did Moony tell you?"  
"He did. I am proud of you for disclosing that to him; however, I am still furious with you for the stunt that you pulled today. You need to place a higher value on your own life."  
"Yes sir."  
"You will serve a detention with Lupin tonight for the time he wasted looking for you."  
"Ok sir."  
The potions master resumed his regular cold stare and placed a hand briefly on her shoulder before stalking away. Rosie sighed. That was close. Guilt began to creep through her like the chill of a dementor. Severus did so much for her to feel better and this is how she repaid him. Somehow, she knew that this secret behavior of hers was going to come back to bite her, it wasn't the right thing to be doing, but she wasn't really sure what was. Something that she had said when she was with the pup earlier was niggling at the back of her brain. She had made the distinction earlier between rape and sex… which was probably why she felt like she had just lost her virginity.  
Rosie spent the better part of lunch being lectured by Hermione. Ginny leaned on her shoulder in support laughing at the lengths that Hermione went through to get her point across. She caught Cedric grinning at her from the Hufflepuff table several times. He was so bloody nice. The rest of her classes passed easily. She had Care of Magical Creatures instead of Defense that day, so Rosie didn't see Moony. When it came time for her detention, she bid farewell to Ginny who had been studying with her in the common room and walked towards the defense office. To think that she had been so scared to enter just a few weeks ago, now it just took a little extra mental concentration. She had also been terrified to get a pelvic just under a year ago and now look at her. If Rosie thought that Moony was going to have a regular detention set up for her, she was dead wrong. His idea of a punishment was much much worse than that. The worst part was that she didn't even think that he meant it to be a punishment.  
"Hello Sweetheart." He greeted her jovially. "You gave us quite a scare earlier."  
"I know, I'm sorry Moony." She hung her head. Rosie was sorry.  
"My dearest, I wanted to talk to you about something tonight, something of grave importance I'm afraid."  
"What's wrong?" She asked him, her voice expressing her nerves.  
"Well… I wanted to discuss your activities with Cedric Diggory."  
Rosie turned bright red. "Oh please don't Moony. Severus and Professor Dumbledore already explained to me how it all works after what happened last year…" she trailed off hiding her eyes.  
"Oh Sweetie, I believe you, but I also don't think that they were expecting you to go looking for sex. I just want to make sure you have enough information to be safe."  
She was pretty sure the it would have been impossible for her to be a darker shade of red than what she felt in that moment. "What do you mean?" Rosie choked out.  
"Well, for example, did they talk to you about contraception?"  
Rosie furrowed her brows. That was not familiar to her. "I don't think so…" She confessed.  
"Ok, I need you to be really honest with me now honey, have you had sex with Cedric or anyone else?" His tone was very serious.  
Rose nodded, blushing deeper. Moony paled. "Oh Merlin." He started.  
"What's wrong?"  
"Did Mr. Diggory cast any spells or give you any potions to drink the times that you did?"  
She shook her head. Not that she remembered. "Ok Rosie, we'll get back to that."  
"Have you had a menstrual period before?" He asked again.  
"Yes…" she responded. "Last summer was the first time."  
"Ok." His face was whiter still. "Did you get your menstrual period this month?"  
Rosie nodded again.  
"Good, okay. Now one more embarrassing question sweetie. When was the last time you had sex?"  
She reached up to cover her eyes in shame and groaned. "Rosie this is really important. I need you to be honest with me."  
"Today." She squeaked. Moony groaned now too.  
"Why are you asking me all of these questions?"  
"Rose, honey, sex had many purposes but one of them is reproduction, making babies."  
"Oh yeah. Severus told me that… but he said that I couldn't have been pregnant after what happened…" Rosie frowned.  
"Yes. Well, that was because you had never had a menstrual period before darling. Now you have."  
Her eyes widened considerably. "Wait… you're saying that I could be pregnant?" She spat. "Not if you have gotten your period this month dear, but it is concerning that it happened today because now we will have to wait for your next period to know for sure."  
"Oh fuck." She cursed. "Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why did nobody tell me this?"  
"Relax Rosie, it is highly unlikely that you will be, it is not as easy as it sounds, we will just monitor you, and you will tell me when you do get your period. Sound good?"  
Her eyes were wide. "What can I do to stop it from happening?" She asked quietly.  
"There is not much you can do about today unfortunately love, but I can teach you a spell for any of your further encounters ok?"  
Rosie let him teach her the contraceptive spell, her mind still in a daze. She was going to have to block these thoughts out until next month when her period was due. It would do no good to dwell on it now. Thank Merlin for Moony she thought to herself.  
"Honey, I don't want you to worry alright? There are potions that would be able to make you not pregnant anymore if by chance you were, which I highly doubt you will be."  
That made her feel a lot better actually. "I do want to ask you a little bit more about Cedric though if that's alright with you."  
She nodded.  
"Why do you seek him out? Don't you think that your mind and body would have been able to heal faster if you refrained from that sort of activity?"  
"I just want to be normal and in control like everyone else." She admitted.  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"I don't want to break things anymore, or cry all the time or scream at people."  
"How does Cedric help with that?"  
"He brings down my level of stress or tension I guess."  
"Interesting. Ok sweetie. Is he your boyfriend?"  
"No… he's nice and all but I don't really want a boyfriend just… you know… that."  
Moony made a face and Rosie wasn't sure if it was a cringe or a small smile.  
"Are you angry at me?" She frowned.  
"No Rosie, don't be silly, I could never be angry with you."  
He stood up and opened his arms as a peace offering, which she gratefully accepted. "You will always be a little baby to me…" He started, "but I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about anything, yeah?"  
She nodded into his robes. "I love you Moony." He pulled her closer.


	36. Chapter 36

The seasons changed very quickly from fall to winter. Rosie woke up a few weeks after her embarrassing talk with Moony, the first day of winter break to be exact, to find that she had indeed gotten her period. Rushing down to the defense office, she didn't even wait until he was awake to tell him. Instead, Rosie burst into his chambers and woke him up. It was not as embarrassing talking about girl stuff with Moony as is was with Severus. There had been problems between the potions professor and Rose for the past few weeks. The problems stemmed from the overwhelming game of secret keeping that she was playing. She had been pulling away from Severus scared that he would read her thoughts. It was also due in part to the fact that Rosie had been using sex to quell her anxiety more and more often now, which cut out the necessity to have Severus around as much. The biggest problem was though was that… she missed him. It was sometimes difficult for her to think of excuses to go down and visit when she was mostly controlling her negative symptoms on her own. Cedric had been only too happy to oblige Rose's crazy whims, but the pair had never progressed beyond the physical realm of a relationship. The sex had become better. Rosie would say that the first time together was not a good indicator of either of their sexual abilities. She had begun to enjoy it enough so that the only negative part was the soul crushing shame that she felt in hiding it. The outbursts had lessoned significantly.  
If Severus had noticed the distance that she'd been keeping, he did not mention it. Cedric had gone home for the winter break and so had all of her friends aside from Neville. This was kind of nice because she didn't really get to spent a lot of time with Neville personally so, she was looking forward to getting to know him better. Moony had promised to take Rosie Christmas shopping on the first day of the winter holidays in Diagon Alley. This meant that after she had happily informed him of the arrival of her period, she had to quickly rush back to Gryffindor tower to get ready. Pulling on a pair of flattering dark blue robes that Severus had helped her pick out last summer, she pulled her hair up into a quick twist and looked in the mirror. It was amazing how she had changed in the span of one year. Her breasts had grown, she was taller, and she generally just looked more mature than she ever had before. Unfortunately, the only mature part about her personality was the persistent sexual prowess. The rest of her had remained one hundred percent little girl.  
Rosie debated popping in to see Severus before she left on her trip to the Alley with Moony but she reasoned that it would be better to go after they got back. There would be more to talk about. She and Moony walked to the school gates. Once they were past the gates, he apparated them to The Leaky Cauldron. Rosie still did not like to apparate.  
"Would you like a butterbeer?" Moony asked her with a smile. She agreed and they sat for a moment in the pub.  
"Moony, do you think my mom would have approved of me spending so much time with Severus even though they ended their friendship badly?" She asked.  
"Of course, she would. Severus was a very dear friend to her. I think she would probably be angrier if he didn't take care of you."  
"My dad would not approve though right?"  
"No. I can say for certain that he would not." Moony chuckled.  
"He would forgive me though. Severus said once that there was probably very little that I could do that James Potter would not forgive me for." She mimicked her professor's drawl.  
"You know love, I haven't seen you spend a lot of time with Severus these past few weeks. Why is that?"  
"I'm kind of… scared of him right now." Rosie frowned.  
"Did something happen?" Moony looked concerned.  
"I don't want him to look in my mind and see… what I've been doing." She wrung her hands together.  
"Ah." Moony sighed. "I wonder my dear if it wouldn't be better to just tell him? You know, the way he encouraged you to tell me about last year?"  
"I can't Moony, he would be so disgusted with me."  
"I can't imagine that he would. The more likely situation is that he would be disgusted with me Rose, but please do not let that stop you. Regrettably, it has always been so."  
"No, you don't understand. Once he told me that the consequence to behaving that way when you are young is that you will have to admit to your future partner that you did not wait for them."  
"Why on earth would he say that?"  
"He felt pretty bad after I think because I was sad about… you know, the bad stuff, he told me that he had been wrong… but I don't know if I believe him."  
"He must have just had a lapse in judgement Sweetie. You should really talk to him. I'd hate to see you two drift apart."  
"Really? Even though he hates you."  
"He doesn't hate you, and your contentedness is much more important than my own." He replied earnestly.  
The pair strolled along the Alley for a while picking out Christmas gifts. She had gotten Hermione a set of nice Witches' robes. She didn't have any yet. For Ginny, she had gotten a pair of quidditch gloves and a muggle dictionary. Ron would receive a book about quidditch and an assortment of treats… The rest of her friends and peers got small token gifts. Rose briefly thought about buying something more for Cedric but changed her mind. They were not dating.  
When she finished the majority of her shopping, Moony suggested that they head to the bookstore. Rosie knew that he had an affinity for books, not unlike Hermione. They arrived at Flourish and Blotts laughing, their arms linked. She felt lucky to have Moony. The bell tinkled as the pair entered the shop and immediately, Rosie's contentedness disappeared. Her blood ran cold. The shop was not very large and to her right, a large banner was tacked onto the wall next to a stage, it read,  
Book signing with Gilderoy Lockhart.   
She stood frozen staring at the figure on the stage surrounded by reporters. His eyes made contact with hers that instant and something feral flashed behind them. At that point, Moony began to worry. He shook her lightly to try and rouse from the stupor in which she'd fallen. From the stage, Lockhart grinned and before Rosie was prepared, he strode over to her. She could not move; her body was frozen.  
"Why if it isn't the beautiful Rosie Potter." His words cut her like knives.  
He took Rosie's hand in his and gently pulled her over towards the stage. Rose followed him without question. Her mind was already too far gone. Moony shot them a puzzled look but did not move to stop her.  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to present Rose Potter, the Girl Who Lived. I had the pleasure of teaching Miss Potter last year. I'm sure you can all see why she quickly became one of my favorite defense students." He boasted pulling her into his side and caressing her face. Cameras flashed. Rosie's mind was blank, her body was numb. She couldn't scream. As soon as Lockhart finished, Rosie peered over at Moony with pleading eyes full of fear. It was at that same moment that realization dawned on his face. Finally, Lockhart let Rosie go. She stumbled back over towards Moony who caught her expertly in his arms. Her eyes were fixed on a blank spot on the wall behind them. Unresponsive, Moony encouraged her to walk with him outside. Rosie was grateful but the gratefulness was masked by impending hysteria. The only person in the world that she wanted to see… that she needed to see in that moment was Severus. He would know what to do. He always did. Severus fixed everything. Instinctively, Moony seemed to know that. He gripped her tightly and apparated them to the Hogwarts gate, creating his patronus, and sending it off to carry a message. If Rosie had been coherent in this moment, she would have been curious as to how he did it.  
The dementors at the gate circled the pair and Rosie felt the urge to vomit. It felt like forever before she noticed the large black clad figure rushing towards them at the gate. "What happened?" He demanded fiercely, his glare fixed on Moony.  
"Rosie had an encounter with her previous defense professor in Diagon Alley." Moony stated calmly, still supporting her weight. She could feel Severus try to meet her gaze, but she stared right through him. Reaching forward to bring her close, Severus closed his hands around her shoulders like he had when they'd viewed the memories together. He did not say anything. Instead, she allowed him to guide her into the castle. Moony followed them, his face wrought with concern.  
As they entered the potions office, Severus encouraged her to sit down on the couch. He took the spot beside her and Moony sat on the desk. Still, Rosie did not speak. She did not make eye contact, and she did not move. Her body was rigid and hers eyes wide with the echoes of shock that still coursed through her veins.  
"Rose." Severus tried.  
She ignored him. Her mouth too frozen to form words. Lockhart had touched her. He had put his hands on her, crushed her against him in hug… caressed her face, like he hadn't been the one to destroy her. Rosie knew that Severus was going to induce her panic. He was the one who had first tested the idea, he had taught it to Moony. She knew that there was no way to avoid it, but still her body resisted. Rosie was powerless to stop the wave of emotional turmoil that was beginning to set over her. Bile rose in her throat and she leaned forward putting her head in her hands. Groaning loudly, her hands curled around her hair. She winced from the pain but did not stop. Severus reached forward with a swift motion and pried her hands out of her hair. This was how it started. Feeling he magic recoil, Rosie resisted. Her body arched away from his and the tension began to build. There was something different this time… more intense. The ball of anxiety in her chest grew and grew until it was all consuming. When it felt as though her heart might burst from her rib cage, Rosie's mind lost touch with the world and she exploded. Magic surged out of her in all directions like a tidal wave of energy. The wave was brief but powerful and it left her drained of all the tension that she had been carrying. With her sensory ability now restored, Rosie opened her eyes.  
Severus was slumped against the wall by the office door clutching at his head. Moony had been pushed back off of the desk and was in the process of righting himself. The desk itself had gone flying into the wall, breaking one of the legs and spilling its contents onto the floor. Practically the only things that remained untouched by the outburst included herself and the couch.  
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She began to sob. Almost on command, Severus rejoined her on the couch, his face still contorted in pain from the impact. "Rose. Control your emotions." He commanded stiffly taking her arms in his hands. Moony stirred and began to get up from across the room.  
"He touched me." Rosie choked out. "Like it was nothing, like he didn't even remember."  
"He remembered." Severus assured her, his eyes flashing.  
"Rose, I'm so sorry I didn't realize that he was the one…" Moony started.  
"Shut up Wolf." Her potions master interrupted.  
"Breathe child. Breathe deeply. Tell me. Where would you find a bezoar if you were creating an antidote to poison?"  
Rosie gazed up at him strangely, but said, "In the stomach of a goat."  
"Good. Now how about Angelwood? Where does it grow?"  
"Under soft moss in forests that have high snail populations."  
"How about Grimmwood?"  
"It is a product of beetle infested pine trees."  
"Excellent. Now one more. What is the first ingredient in the Wolfsbane potion?"  
"Aconite" Rosie replied, her voice evening out and her panic receding.  
"How do you feel?" He asked pointedly.  
"A bit better." She sighed and rested her head on him. Moony was watching them intently.  
"Tell me what happened."  
She took another deep breath. "He was at the book store."  
"Who?" Severus asked raising his eyebrow.  
"Lockhart." Rosie glared.  
"What happened when you entered the store?"  
"I froze. He saw me right away and pulled me onto the stage. He held me against him, said I was his best defense student." Her eyes began to prick with tears again.  
"Ok. You were very brave today." Her professor sighed.  
"I don't want to do this anymore." She breathed, her voice desperate. "I don't want to have outbursts, I just want to be in control, I want to have normal feelings."  
"I know child, but this is only natural. Besides, you have not had an outburst in weeks. You are doing very well."  
"I'm not." She cried, face flushing.  
"Rose, I would hardly call one outburst a month a failure." He said seriously, his eyes firm.  
"No! You don't understand Severus. I have been stopping them." Rosie confessed hiding her face, which was now red with shame.  
"What do you mean stopping them?" He drawled. His tone grew colder.  
Moony got up from where he was perched on the desk and came to sit by her other side. He took her hand and began to rub circles over it. "Lupin, what is she talking about?" Severus demanded as Rosie hid her face further.  
"I… Severus… Rose has been seeking out… other forms of emotional release." Moony said slowly. Rosie couldn't help herself, she looked up to see Severus' reaction.  
"What kind of emotional release?" His voice was dangerously low now. Her stomach curled. She could not speak the words. Moony must had realized that her tongue was tied. "Severus, please do not become cross with Rose. This reaction seems very normal in her situation."  
"Don't tell me how to react." He barked. "What have you done girl?" Rosie looked to Moony pleading him to continue for her. Severus saw the exchange and glared. He too turned to Moony and slipped into the same threatening tone once again, "What am I not aware of?"  
Moony sighed. "Rose has been finding great comfort in regular sexual encounters over the past several weeks."  
Severus' eyes widened and he turned away from Moony staring at her once again. His piercing eyes met hers and his mouth opened in surprise.  
"You. What?" He asked slowly, his voice every bit as menacing as before.  
"Severus…" She tried, but her cut her off.  
"You have been trying to quell your anxiety over the sexual abuse that you suffered by having more sex?" Disbelief was evident now in her professor's voice.  
"I…yes." Rosie lowered her eyes.  
"Good god. With who?" Suddenly, his eyes flashed and he turned to Moony. "you haven't been…" Severus started, rage evident in his tone.  
"Merlin Severus no! Never. I would never." The man replied holding up his hands.  
"Who was it Rose?" Severus asked again. Rosie felt nervous to tell him. She didn't want Cedric to get in trouble.  
"Severus please don't be cross with him. Be cross with me, but not him."  
"Tell me."  
"C…Cedric Diggory." She stuttered. Her face flushed scarlet once again.  
Severus was silent for a moment, expressionless. "You have been having sex with fifth year, sixteen-year-old Hufflepuff prefect Cedric Diggory?"  
Rosie just nodded. Her head hung in shame. Moony's hand was still on hers. He squeezed it lightly. Severus stood up abruptly. He turned around and with his entire body weight, smashed his clenched fist into the desk. A crack formed where he had hit. Rosie shrieked and Moony flinched.  
"I try so hard with you Rose. I have tried to steer you in the right direction. I have worked hard to earn your trust. Countless times I have shown you that your wellbeing is my only concern. Now, I find out that all of that is nothing to you, that I do not even posses enough of your confidence, enough of your respect for you to confide such a major decision to."  
"Severus I'm so sorry! Please, I was scared to tell you. I didn't want you to think less of me." Rosie whimpered.  
Severus put his head in his hands briefly, then he looked up at her again. "Go into my chambers and wait for me there. I want to have a word with your pet wolf. Alone."  
Rosie scampered away not wanting to test his patience anymore and closed the door to Severus' chambers unceremoniously.  
Remus was left alone with Snape. The man towered over him from where he sat on the couch, but he was not intimidated. This was still Severus Snape. It would take more than a demonstration of rage for Remus to be frightened of his childhood enemy.  
"Severus. Was that really necessary?"  
"You. You dunderhead. Do you really think that you have the right to just waltz in here and take over the situation like you have any idea how to deal with it? Do you really believe that you know the child well enough to make decisions for her? To conceal her decisions from me…"  
"You must understand that Rose… She was horrified at the thought of you knowing. She said it helped… I taught her the contraception charm. I thought it was harmless."  
"You encouraged her?" Severus spat.  
"I helped her protect herself." He replied smoothly.  
"What have I done to her to make her so frightened?" The man growled slamming his fist into the desk again.  
"Forgive me Severus, but I don't think it has so much to do with what you've done. I think it is who you are to her."  
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"  
"You are practically her father Snape. That is how she sees you. Can you think of any little girl who would willingly discuss her sex life with her father?"  
"I am not her father. Potter is her father." He hissed.  
"James was her father yes, but you've taken over that role in her life. Maybe if things had been different, if Sirius didn't do what he did… If I had fought for her… it would not be so, but Snape, that is how she sees you."  
The man recoiled, but continued to glare at Remus for longer than needed. "Get out of my sight." He spat again and turned toward the door to his chambers. He shook his head and made a motion to leave praying that he let the poor girl off easy. Remus could not imagine how she must be feeling in that moment.


	37. Chapter 37

Severus entered his quarters after several more moments of quiet contemplation. His mind kept coming back to images of the little girl that less than a year earlier he had pulled from the clutches of a man hell bent on her destruction. He was shocked at her willingness to climb back into the same situation. The room was dark. Rose was curled up in a ball on his couch rocking herself softly. The scene was anxiety provoking. Severus did not understand how anyone, even another teenager could find anything remotely seductive about the child in front of him. Rage burned from within his chest as her thought of the Diggory boy. He was a student from his own advanced potions class, three years older than Rose. As he moved to sit on the table in front of her, the girl stopped her rocking. She looked up at him with nervous anticipation and unfolded her legs so that they hung off the couch. Her eyes were obscured by the dark, but their brilliant green was not lost to him.  
"Rose. What happened? Did Diggory pressure you? When did you even meet him?" Severus began cautiously, trying to keep his tone even.  
"No Severus. It was my idea really." She cringed. "He asked me to Hogsmeade. We went, and he was really nice. I wanted more."  
"Why? Why did you want more? Child, I find it hard to believe that he had nothing to do with this. He is three years your senior. He is a prefect god damnit."  
"Please don't be upset with him." She begged. "He kept saying that he didn't want to have sex with me because I was so young… he didn't want to be my first. I only convinced him by telling him that he wouldn't be…"  
"You told him about Lockhart?"  
"No… I mean I just told him that I wasn't… you know… a virgin." The girl shivered.  
"Oh child." Severus started, he rubbed his temples roughly. "What happened to you… that did not count."  
"Yes, it did!" Rose cried indignantly. "What did it even matter anyways? At least it felt good. Nothing feels good anymore. For once I didn't have to explode to release the tension!"  
Severus winced. The thought of Rose Potter underneath the Diggory boy… releasing tension… was too much for him to handle. "Is he… your boyfriend?"  
"No. I don't want a boyfriend." She answered promptly.  
Severus groaned. "When did Lupin find out?"  
"Right at the beginning, maybe last month. He found us, you know, in a closet." The confession rolled off of her tongue easier this time, but her voice was still uneasy. Wincing again, Severus continued.  
"What did he say?"  
"Well, he started freaking out asking me if I had gotten my period. He taught me a charm to keep from getting pregnant."  
"And had you… gotten your period? I was not even aware that you had begun menarche."  
"Oh yeah, I got it in the summer." The girl blushed. "Moony said that there was still a chance that I was pregnant because I had done it that day without the spell, but I got it today, so he was relieved."  
Severus' expression changed from one of neutrality to fury. "You mean to tell me that up until today there was a chance that you could have been pregnant and the wolf did not tell me about it?"  
The girl frowned. "Please don't be mad at Moony. I begged and begged him not to tell you."  
"Why didn't you come to me?" He questioned. His tone changing back to one of curious neutrality. "Do you not trust my advice?"  
"I'm sorry… I was just scared." Rose looked down refusing to meet his eyes. "I was scared that you would look at me and think that I was wrong or bad. I didn't want you to think I was soiled."  
Severus' mind flashed back to the conversation about Granger and Weasley that had taken place the previous month. "You were not asking for your friend when we discussed this last month am I correct?"  
Rose shook her head solemnly. "Merlin Child. Do you not remember me telling you that no matter what you do you are still worthy?"  
"I do but… I didn't know if you really felt that way or if it was just because I was sad."  
"Rose Potter. I meant every single word that I said. You are just as valuable as any other girl your age."  
She still would not meet his eyes. "Not now."  
"Yes now." His voice was firm.  
"Severus, I did it on purpose. I touched him and I made him touch me and I liked it. I probably won't stop."  
Closing his eyes, trying desperately to erase the mental pictures, Severus grasped the child's shoulders in his hands. "You still hold the same value." He confirmed. "Please Rose, next time come to me. I don't like finding out second hand information."  
"Ok, I promise." She sighed, leaning forward.  
"I'm sorry about what happened in Diagon Alley today." Severus continued. "I did not think to check the man's book tour schedule."  
"It's ok sir, it wasn't your fault. I just wish I didn't have to be afraid anymore.  
"I know child. I know."  
Severus allowed the girl to stay in his bed that night. He slept on the couch of course. However, she did insist that he stay until she fell asleep. It was the winter holidays so nobody would miss her. At around three in the morning, Severus was awoken by a frantic voice from his fireplace.  
"Severus!"  
"Severus are you there?" The voice hissed into the night. He hobbled over to see who it was. Minerva was on the other end. "Severus, Sirius Black was just sighted in Gryffindor Tower and Rose Potter is missing!"  
He froze. Sirius Black in the common room. That was too much. Severus quickly dispelled the older professor's nerves informing her that Rose was indeed safe with him. That did not quell her anxiety quite as much as he had hoped seeing as though she was not aware that the girl often spent nights in his quarters. Minerva came through into his kitchen and made eyes at his makeshift bed on the couch.  
"While I am extremely relieved that Miss. Potter is not in the clutches of Sirius Black, I am curious how she came to be here Severus."  
"Minerva. Potter has issues, the Headmaster is completely aware that she spends the occasional night here when her anxiety is high."  
"What is wrong with her?" The deputy headmistress asked with a frown.  
"She is in the process of recovering from a trauma. I am afraid that is all I can reveal. Tell me, what happened tonight?"  
In the midst of Minerva's hurried explanation of events, Rose must have woken up. The girl came out of his room bleary eyed in the pajamas that he had transfigured for her. "Severus?" Her small voice questioned as she crossed the room. "Oh, hi Professor McGonagall, is everything alright?" She asked. In her tired state, Rose did not pay much attention to what she was doing and the girl ended up clinging on to his robes while awaiting an answer from her transfiguration teacher. Minerva's eyes widened and then returned to normal as she gave a vague run down of events to the tired Potter. When she had finished, Severus quickly escorted Rose back to his room making sure she lay down and closed her eyes. Returning to the kitchen, he was met with a disapproving look from his colleague.  
"Severus. I have to say, this is strange. I have never seen anyone so comfortable around you… much less a student. Are you sure there is nothing going on that we should know about?"  
"Minerva, what are you suggesting?"  
"Please don't take this the wrong way Severus, but I was your teacher… I remember how you pined after Miss. Evans. Are you sure that your intentions with Miss. Rose are pure?"  
"I am the girl's interim guardian and I'm disgusted that you would even suggest such filth! Take this up with Albus if you are concerned but kindly leave my chambers." He spat. The conversation ended there, and Severus did not sleep a wink the remainder of the night. Thoughts of Sirius Black danced in his mind. This was becoming a very real threat.


	38. Chapter 38

Rosie was alone when she woke up the next morning. There was a note on the counter that read,  
Meeting with the Headmaster, breakfast on the table. Eat.  
She smiled to herself. Severus always covered his bases. Rosie woke up with the urge to check on Neville. Aside from Rose, no other Gryffindor had stayed at Hogwarts over the break, which meant that Neville had to have been the one to find Sirius Black the night before. She wanted to make sure he was alright. Although he was a Gryffindor, Neville was quite faint hearted. Quickly, she grabbed a bite of toast off the plate and a sausage and scribbled a note to Severus letting him know that she was going to her common room. The pathway up the stairs from the dungeons was eerily quiet. When she arrived at the common room, Rosie noticed that the portrait was blank. The door was slightly ajar already as though it no longer held a password keeper.  
Neville sat in the corner of the grandiose living area with his head stuffed in a book. He was biting his nails and he did not seem to be reading, just staring blankly at the pages.  
"Hi Neville." Rosie greeted cautiously.  
"Rose! Oh, thank goodness! You're alright! Everyone was so worried last night. You should have seen Professor McGonagall."  
"Yeah… I did see her, she came through when she found out I was with Severus." She replied sheepishly.  
"Wait… You were with Snape? At night? Like, in his chambers?" Her friend made a face.  
"Erm, yes, I sleep there sometimes."  
"Gross! Is that even allowed?"  
"Neville! It's not anything weird, he's like my guardian. Why does everyone think he's like that? Professor Dumbledore knows."  
"Seriously? Why is he your guardian?"  
"I'll have you know that Severus cares for me very much. He helped me through a lot last year."  
Neville's eyes widened as if he were trying to picture the potions master being helpful.  
"So, how are you holding up after last night?" She interjected, changing the topic.  
"Merlin, Rose, it was horrible. He was just there in my dorm. He kept muttering to himself and he had a knife!"  
"What did he look like?"  
"Just like the photos, but even more mad."  
"Great." Rosie replied, her voice strained.  
"Why is he after you anyways Rose?" Neville looked at her curiously.  
"Well… from what I understand, he was my father's best friend turned death eater, and he is the reason that Voldemort killed my parents."  
"Oh. I'm so sorry. M..my parents were hurt by You- Know- Who's followers too, just after yours were killed."  
"They were? Forgive me Neville I didn't realize that your parents died."  
"Um, well, they didn't exactly die. They were tortured pretty badly. Now, they can barely remember their own names."  
Rosie's eyes widened. "Wow Neville. That must be so difficult." She reached out to touch his arm lightly. Neville blushed.  
"Yeah, so I kind of understand what you had to go through. I couldn't imagine if Bellatrix Lestrange was after me."  
"Bellatrix Lestrange?"  
"She was one of the death eaters responsible for my parents' condition. One day I hope I'll meet her face to face." He said and his dark eyes flashed with something akin to malice. The look did not suit her friend, who, to Rosie's knowledge had never said an unkind word.  
"Do you really think that hurting her would solve anything?" Rosie asked lightly.  
"I guess so… yeah. Don't you want to hurt Sirius Black?"  
"Not really hurt him so much as know why he did it you know? Like, Moony… Sorry, Professor Lupin says that he and my dad were like brothers, he even lived with the Potters when he was kicked out of his house for not being dark enough."  
"You're kidding! What do you think happened?"  
Rosie just shook her head. She really had no idea. "I almost wouldn't mind running into him."  
"Neville ran his hand through his hair uncomfortably. "So, why did you stay with Snape last night? I mean, I'm glad you did… but it was a pretty big coincidence."  
Rosie felt a familiar tightening in her chest. "Erm… I was pretty upset because Professor Lupin and I ran into someone is diagon alley who hurt me pretty badly." She cringed visibly.  
"Oh. I'm sorry. Snape makes you feel better about that?" The boy's face crumpled with the effort of his imagination.  
"Yeah, he does." She gave a small smile.  
"You know, I think you're very brave Rose. I feel like you've had a really hard time of it, but you are still so kind."  
"Don't discount your own experiences Neville. We are way more similar than we are different."  
The boy blushed again.  
The pair spent the majority of the holidays together apart from the time that Rosie spent with Severus. Severus continued their patronus lessons over break, but she was still unable to conjure up a memory strong enough, or pure enough, to produce anything corporeal. The potions master had yet to allow her to practice with the boggart. She had tried asking Moony for secret lessons with the boggart but he had rejected her, saying that he trusted Severus' judgement. Rosie had been going out for walks often with Neville and with Moony. She always searched for the familiar pup that she was so fond of, but he only ever seemed to appear when she was alone. Rosie was not allowed to walk alone on the grounds anymore. Christmas day was spent with her two very disgruntled guardians. Rose had made it very clear that she desired both of their company over the holiday, and the men had made an effort. There had been a lot of uncomfortable silence and glaring, mostly from Severus, but the trio had managed to spend enough time together to satisfy her need for familial comfort. Severus had not mentioned Cedric once over the holidays… Rosie almost forgot about it until the beginning of term arrived once again. On the second day of classes, after lunch with her friends, Cedric came rushing towards her, much to Ginny's excitement. Her friends were not aware just how close she had gotten with the Hufflepuff boy. His expression was pained and his voice urgent.  
"Rose, can I speak to you?" He asked quickly, but it was not really a question because he put his hand on her arm, guiding her away before Rosie even had a chance to reply. He took her into a deserted hallway, spun and around and ran his hands nervously through his hair. Rosie stood on her tiptoes leaning forward to kiss him, but he stopped her gently.  
"Rose… I… I don't think we can do this anymore." Her eyes widened and a sinking feeling came over her.  
"What happened?" She asked him calmly.  
"Rose, Professor Snape talked to me." The boy cringed. "I…" but Rosie cut him off.  
"Severus talked to you?" She blanched. "What did he say?" Her tone was irritated.  
"Listen, don't be upset ok? He wasn't threatening me, he sounded concerned."  
"What. Did. He. Say?" Rosie spat out.  
"He said that you've been through a lot Rose, and that he is worried you are using, you know… our activities to avoid dealing with what is really wrong. He said you had some sort of extra bad reaction… or something over the holidays."  
"God Severus. Fuck." She muttered. "Cedric, he is just being overprotective. I had that reaction for a totally different reason, he is just reading too much into it." She sighed.  
"What happened Rose? What was he talking about?"  
"It's nothing Cedric. Seriously, please don't worry about it."  
"No, Rose, c'mon you gotta be honest with me here. I don't know what to think. I told you I didn't want to hurt you."  
"Ugh." She sighed. "I just ran into someone over the Hols that I had a really bad experience with, I reacted badly to that. Not to you."  
"Who was it? Snape made it sound like being with me made your reaction stronger." He whispered urgently. Concern was wrought in his expression.  
"Just… someone who, you know, made me do some stuff with him that I didn't want to." Rosie closed her eyes. That was all she was able to get out. Her heart was in her throat and she could tell that her face was flushed.  
Cedric's eyes widened and his lips parted slightly in shock. "Rose, shit. I am so sorry. God." He was panicking. "I never should have… oh jeez, I am so sorry. We should stop, I don't want to be like that." The boy brought his hands up to rub his face.  
Rosie reached up to take his hand. "Cedric, please look at me."  
He met her eyes, but his were clouded over with sadness. "Don't do this. Don't look at me like that, please. If I didn't want to be with you like that, I wouldn't be ok?"  
"But Snape said…"  
"Severus," She spat his name out, "is a prude. It just makes him uncomfortable. He has no reason to think that my bad reaction was anything more than the result of me running into that person."  
"Are you sure? I really like you Rose and I don't want to do anything to you that you don't want."  
"I'm sure. Really, if I felt uncomfortable, I'd tell you."  
"I guess, I also don't know if I want to… uh, you know, do just that stuff with you. I was kinda hoping that we could maybe be something more?"  
Now it was Cedric who was flushed. "If you want…that is. We don't even have to have sex you know? We can just take it slow. Maybe then I'll pass potions this year."  
Rosie giggled. "I'd like that." She responded sweetly, "but I wouldn't mind, erm, continuing what we've been doing. Severus will not fail you in potions for sleeping with me. He wouldn't dare."  
Cedric chuckled. "As long as you're sure."  
Suddenly, he became serious once again. "I… I want you to promise that you'll tell me if you are ever uncomfortable, please, I can't imagine what that was like for you…"  
She stopped him, wincing slightly. "I will."  
"Thanks. So, does that mean you will officially be my girlfriend?"  
"Yes." Rosie replied, her mouth turning upward in a small smile. She let him kiss her, and then they parted ways. Lunch was ending and that meant that Severus had a free period. Rosie had defense, but Moony wouldn't kill her for being late. As soon as Cedric was out of sight, anger began to creep its way through her stomach and up into her chest. How dare Severus talk to Cedric without her consent. She marched herself down to the familiar dungeon office and entered without knocking.  
Severus wondered how long it would take before he had an angry little girl bursting through his office door. He had to admit, Rose did not waste time. Lunch had only just ended when she let herself in to his space, rage evident in her emerald eyes. Severus knew that talking to the Diggory boy had been a risk. There was always a chance that Rose would come out of the situation more hurt than when she went in, but he was seriously concerned about her sexual willingness. The reaction to seeing Lockhart had been the worst outburst that the child had ever experienced. She had injured both himself and the wolf, and left his office destroyed. The potions master couldn't help but think that it might be a product of dealing with potential outbursts on a superficial level, through sex, instead of dealing with them fully, which always involved the recoil in her magic.  
"Really Severus? You had to do that. You couldn't just leave it alone?" Rose started as soon as she walked in through the door.  
"Good Afternoon." He replied tersely.  
"I can't believe you did that." She continued. "You're not going to stop me."  
"I expect you to take your recovery seriously Rose. I am not going to allow you to become addicted to quick fixes for a problem of this magnitude."  
"Fuck you, you just want me to be dependent on you."  
"Do not speak to me in that way." He snapped coldly.  
"You are pathetic. You aren't my father. I don't have to listen to you."  
Severus stood up from his desk, walked over to Rose and grabbed her arms in his hands, holding her still. His breath was hot on her face. "No, I am not your father, but I am your guardian, and you will give me that respect."  
"Get off me!" She shrieked struggling in his grasp. "I hate you!"  
"Rose Potter. I am an adult and you are a child. You need to listen to me."  
"What? You've got the power, got it. Are you gonna fuck me too then? What the hell does it even matter. I'm already damaged goods."  
Severus balked but did not take his eyes from her or his hands off her. "I would never do that to you. Authority does not always have to hurt Rose. I am looking out for your best interests."  
"Why can't I have sex Severus? Why can't I? It makes me feel better. It makes me feel normal." She was becoming emotional now.  
"I did not say that you could not have sex." He spat out. "I do not want you to use sex to squash your outbursts. It is not supposed to be used as a coping mechanism."  
"What am I supposed to do then?" Rosie whispered, her voice losing its hardness.  
"I don't know yet child, but this is not the solution. I am going to do everything in my power to help you control your outbursts from here on out, but I need your word that you will not continue to have sexual relations of any kind while you are on the brink of panic."  
She breathed a long sigh of defeat. "I won't. I'm just so tired Severus." He relaxed his grip on her arms and she fell forward allowing him to catch her smoothly. "It's not fair."  
"Life isn't fair child."


	39. Chapter 39

Time passed evenly. A few weeks had gone by since Severus had spoken with Cedric and they had become an official couple. Nothing much had changed apart from the fact that the Hufflepuff boy made an effort to spend more time with Rosie outside of a closet or drawing room. Her friends were absolutely ecstatic. Ginny had been practically vibrating with energy when Rose had confessed to her that the pair were dating. Rose had tried very hard to do as Severus said. Cedric had been more than understanding and she had to actually beg him to sleep with her the few times that they had done so in the past few weeks. However, Rosie made sure that in those moments, she was not on the verge of an outburst. Instead, any panic that ensued, she brought immediately to Severus or Moony. The problem had been that having sex without the underlying pressure of impending panic had actually made it more difficult for Rosie to enjoy the activity. The last time that she had tried, she had to ask Cedric to stop, which he obliged immediately. Something about the calm, or the lack of urgency allowed her mind to dwell on Lockhart. Without the heat, and the intensity of trying to squash her outburst, Rosie was left with the images of what had been done to her at the forefront of her mind. Cedric was becoming increasingly worried and had almost initiated a complete ban on sexual contact.  
On the Friday before the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match Rosie found herself once again tangled in a passionate kiss with her boyfriend in the broom closet closest to the owlery. It had been a while since the pair had attempted to have sex and she was feeling ready. There were no distractions and Rosie made sure that she was completely calm before seeking the boy out. As his hands moved down her body, her robes came up past her waist and his hand snaked down to touch her. His eyes were hungry with lust and Rosie was all to familiar with his own physical reaction. Trying to lose herself in the moment, she pushed down the negative memories one by one as they surfaced. Cedric moved to enter her and as he did, Rose lost her sense of security all at once. Her body tensed and did not receive the intrusion as normal. Rigid and frozen, the pain sliced through her. She let out a small cry of discomfort, which the boy mistook for pleasure as he began to move. In that moment, all sense of presence was lost and Rosie was back in the defense office, her eyes clouded over with fear. Cedric must have felt her body stiffen because he stopped and pulled out.  
"Rose. Hey, are you ok? What's going on?"  
"I… I can't" She breathed, tears beginning to leak from her eyes.  
In an instant, Cedric pulled away from her, fixing himself and then helping her redress. "Hey, hey, you're fine. Nothing it going to happen, I swear."  
"Oh, Cedric I'm so sorry. I just, I haven't been able to properly since Severus talked to you."  
"No, Rose, don't apologize, you have nothing to be sorry for."  
"I just can't stop picturing..." She trailed off. She could tell that Cedric was uncomfortable talking about this because he stiffened to and patted her lightly on the back. "There there. Why don't I bring you down to the dungeons so you can talk to Snape?" He suggested quickly.  
"No, no not Severus, I don't want him to lash out at you." Rosie fretted.  
"Ok, well how about Professor Lupin?" The boy asked again. She could tell that he did not feel equipped to help her. He definitely had a realistic grasp on his abilities. Rose just nodded. The boy wrapped his arm around her shoulders allowing her to lean on him lightly as they walked. When they arrived at the defense office, Moony was there, but he was visibly ill. That's when Rosie remembered that the full moon was the next day. Moony's eyes widened as he spotted Cedric with his arm around her, as well as her obvious discomfort. Her boyfriend nodded towards the professor and cringed slightly.  
"Professor, um, we were, uh, you know… and Rose got really upset, so I brought her down here to see if you could maybe help her, um, feel better." The boy stuttered, his normal confidence nonexistent.  
Moony stood carefully, supporting his weight on the desk, eyebrows raised. "Thank you, Mr. Diggory." He stated, his voice neutral and calm. Cedric turned to Rose and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. "Feel better Rose." He said softly, his tone apologetic. When the boy left, she was left alone with Moony who shot her a knowing look. Motioning toward the couch, he allowed her to sit and then sat next to her.  
"Are you alright sweetheart?" He started.  
Rosie winced, but nodded. "It's fine Moony, really, I just needed to get away."  
"Honey, he's not coercing you, is he?"  
"No, don't think that, please. He stopped as soon as I… erm… reacted."  
"Do you want to talk about it?"  
"Not really. I think I might just go for a walk… erm, can you not tell Severus about this please?"  
"Your secret is safe with me, but please be careful on the grounds alone, be back before dark."  
Rosie gave Moony a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before sending him to rest for the impending full moon. The tension began to build up in her stomach bubbling upward towards her chest. She groaned bitterly realizing the irony that she was going to have an outburst because she had sex, but that sex was the only thing that would be able to stop it. Partly because of her promise to Severus and partly because she knew that Cedric would not dream of doing it with her again today, Rosie began to walk quickly towards the grounds knowing that there were fewer breakable objects outside. She reached the lake in record time and leaned up against a tree closing her eyes tight. The effort to slow her breathing was futile and as the panic built within her, Rosie could feel the familiar sensation of her magic expanding. She hit the tree with her bare hand, hard, and heard a snapping sound. A large branch had cracked off of the top and had fallen to the earth with a thud.  
"Fuck." She muttered, tears wetting her cheeks. The panic was subsiding, but the overwhelming sadness was not. "Why can't I be normal?"  
Just then, Rosie felt a nudge at her knees, which were pulled toward her as she sat against the trunk. Opening her eyes, she realized that it was the grim-like dog come to sit with her. "Oh, Hi sweetie." She greeted weakly, her small smile marred by her tears. The dog just cocked its head and nudged her again whimpering.  
"You are just the nicest guy aren't you sweet boy." Rosie cooed. She grabbed the dog's face in her hands and placed sloppy kisses all over his eyes and nose. "How did you know I was out here?" Hugging the grim closer to her body Rosie began to whisper into his fur. "I hate being like this. I hate him for what he did and I hate being hunted by mass murderers. Why does everything have to be so hard?"  
They must have stayed like that for a while because when Rosie finally opened her eyes, she realized that darkness had begun to descend upon the grounds. Giving the pup one last smooch, she quickly started off towards the castle. If she didn't show up for dinner Moony would most definitely send out a search party, which meant Rosie would be on the receiving end of Severus' wrath.  
Going to bed early that night because of the Quidditch game in the morning, Rosie changed into her pajamas and slipped under the covers. She awoke to the sound of Hermione crying. Her friend had her face buried in her hands and her body was wrought with tension.  
"Hey, Mione what's wrong?"  
"Oh Rose, it's Ron's stupid rat Scabbers. He's missing and Ron thinks that Crookshanks ate him! He is so cross with me!"  
Rose tried her best to comfort her friend but she was at a loss for what to say. Ron's rat was the least of her concerns. She tried to be supportive, but she was sure it came across as dismissive. At breakfast she searched for Cedric. He met her eyes from across the hall and smiled. He was not upset with her. That was a relief. Later that afternoon when it was time for the Quidditch match, Rosie dressed in her uniform and pulled her hair into a long braid down her back. This was her chance to make up for the last match, which had left her in the hospital wing. Tucking her wand securely into her robes just in case, she headed down to the pitch. Everyone had come out the watch the game that day. She spotted Severus sitting next to the headmaster on the right. To his left was Moony, who looked as though he'd been hit by a train. Rosie was touched that he had come to see her play in his condition. Severus made eye contact with her as she rose into the sky. His team was playing against hers, but he locked eyes with her and winked before they began. She really was so fond of the potions master. The game was going as normal. She scanned the sky for the snitch, listening as her teammates scored one after the other. As her eyes travelled downward, Rosie blanched. Below the pitch appeared two large, shadowed figures. A shudder ran through the length of her spine as Rose recognized the figures as dementors. Curling her fear into a tight ball, she stuffed it down and thought of Moony. She thought of his face when Rosie had called him by name at the beginning of the year. She thought of his hugs, his smell, and the fact that he was out here watching her even though he was so desperately ill.  
"Expecto Patronum." Rosie cast, pulling her wand from her cloak and directing it at the dementors. Something shot out of her wand and took off towards the creatures. Turning her head toward the game once again, Rosie caught sight of the snitch and dived for it, her reflexes did not fail her, and pretty soon she was flying high above the game, snitch in hand as Gryffindor was announced as the winner. On the ground below, the so called dementors struggled to sit up, their cloaks falling to the ground as they did so. Two Slytherin boys emerged from them, faces red. Severus was up in an instant, his face furious as he stalked toward the disgruntled boys.  
As Rosie came to a landing she was met with hugs from Hermione and Ginny, followed by an enthusiastic Cedric who swept her up into a passionate kiss right in the middle of the pitch. Ginny Shrieked, drawing the attention of Severus who turned away from the two instigators to glare at the couple. Rosie pulled away giggling, her face flushed.  
"Ah, young love." A soft voice said from behind her. Rose turned around and came face to face with Professor Dumbledore, who was helping Moony to stand. She blushed again.  
"Sweetheart! Your patronus was absolutely brilliant!" Moony enthused with more energy than she thought he should be expending.  
"Yes indeed… Rose, my dear girl, I am thoroughly impressed." Dumbledore added with a smile. "I was very please to note that your patronus has become corporeal."  
Rosie's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean it had a shape? What was it?"  
Something akin to laughter danced behind Moony's eyes and the Headmaster's were positively twinkling. Cedric, who had his arm around her waist chuckled lightly and then brought his lips close to her ear. "Rose, your patronus was a bat." He whispered. Her mouth dropped open. Of course it would be. Rosie brought her hands up to cover her face and she could hear Moony laughing again. She hid her face in the Hufflepuff boy's chest. Just then, from the side, a familiar voice sliced through the moment.  
"Might I cut in?" Severus drawled, glaring pointedly at Cedric, his eyes trained on the boy's hands where he held her.  
"Y... yes sir. Of course, Professor. Cedric stuttered and he moved his hands off of Rose taking a step back.  
"A word… Rose." Severus requested, something in his voice implied that it was not a choice. Rosie followed him to the empty stands. She sat up on one of the bleachers so that her eyes were at the same level as his where he stood.  
"That was an excellent display of magic child." Severus started softly.  
Rosie smiled and blushed. "Thanks sir. I'm sorry about the shape." Her face reddened further.  
"Do not apologize. I have not spent years perfecting my bat-like appearance only to deny it now." His face was serious but a smirked played on his lips.  
"Did you just make a joke?" She questioned.  
"That is for you to determine." He replied smoothly. There was a small pause and then Severus spoke again. "I trust that you are behaving in a manner consistent with your recovery." He said, his eyes drifting towards Cedric who was making conversation with her friends.  
"I haven't been doing anything to stop my outbursts if that's what you mean."  
"It is."  
"I actually, erm, it has been, you know, making me panic now…" Rosie trailed off.  
"What has been making you panic?"  
She cocked her head towards the Hufflepuff boy and cringed.  
"Has he done something to you?" Severus' eyes flashed dangerously.  
"No no, I mean that, when we… do it, when I am calm… well, I have bad reactions."  
"Why is now the first time I am hearing of this?"  
"Severus please, you know it makes me uncomfortable." She blushed.  
"If you cannot talk about sex you should not be having it." He glared at her.  
"What does Diggory do when you panic?"  
"He stops." Rose affirmed. Severus sighed. She leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thanks for always protecting me."  
Severus said nothing, but he brought his hand to her arm and squeezed it lightly.


	40. Chapter 40

After the game, Rosie got permission from Severus to spend the evening helping Hagrid sort through his collection of magical snakes. Ginny and Neville had both decided to accompany her, but Ron and Hermione were still fighting, and neither wanted to be in the same place as the other. They were to return to the castle by exactly 5:30PM, as tonight was the full moon. As they walked back up the lake path, passing the shrieking shack where Rosie knew that Moony would soon occupy, the trio heard a small rustling noise from the bushes.  
"What was that?" Started Neville, his voice quivering. Ginny, being the most courageous of the three moved forward and stuck her head in the bush. "Don't worry guys! It's just Scabbers!" The girl announced, picking up the squirming rat in her hands. "Oh, thank goodness!" Rosie exclaimed. "I thought that Ron and Hermione were going to spontaneously combust." The redheaded girl struggled with the rat, which would not stay still. "Stupid rat." She muttered as they continued their ascent towards the castle. Suddenly, for the first time that Rosie was not alone, the friendly black dog came trotting over towards her.  
"Woah!" Neville shouted. "That's a grim!"  
"Relax." Rosie smiled. "He's my friend." She stated as she moved forward to meet him. His black eyes were fixed behind her… on Ginny, but he did allow her to pick up his face in her hands and plant a kiss square on his nose. "Wait… this monster animal is your friend?" He asked her incredulously.  
"Yes, I've been feeding him all year." Rosie shot a puzzled expression towards her friends as the pup whined long and low. He ran slightly forward, and then turned around to face them with pleading eyes, repeating the motion several times.  
"I think he wants us to follow him!" Ginny giggled. "Should we go?"  
"I don't want to get on Severus' bad side…" Rosie cautioned. The dog whined again. He hopped up and down and motioned again with his head. "I think it's important." Ginny encouraged. Rosie felt Neville grip her arm tightly from behind. Scabbers was positively writhing in Ginny's hands, but she was not paying attention. Annoyed, Rosie cast a quick body binding curse on him. The animal froze in place, its eyes moving wildly in all directions. The trio followed after the dog as he moved in quick bounds. Rosie began to feel a nervous constriction in her stomach, as did Neville. She could feel him tightening his grip against her. Ginny urged them on, her excitement brimming as she revelled in the small adventure. When the three of them reached the shrieking shack, Rosie started to fret. Her friends did not know about Moony. The full moon wouldn't rise for another hour and a half at least… but she could not be sure that Moony wouldn't arrive early. She didn't want his secret to be exposed. Plus, it was getting late, and Rose knew that Severus would send out a mob looking for her… or worse, he would come himself. However, she wasn't going to let Ginny go into the shrieking shack alone…so, Rose followed. The dog ran ahead of them, pushing a knot on the base of the trunk to stop the moving branches. This adventure was beginning to feel strange. Rosie's dog was acting strange… almost humanlike. Climbing with her friends through the entrance hole, the trio arrived at a small wooden door. Rosie moved forward ahead of Ginny, and pushed it open. The dog trailed behind them, nudging her forward.  
Moony's face was white as a sheet when he saw the children enter through the door to the shack ahead of the canine. Regret seeped instantly through her veins as she caught sight of her guardian's face. He must have come early.  
"Rose. Come. Here. Now. All three of you. Please." His voice was stricter than she had ever heard it, laced with fear as he stood shakily drawing his wand. "Get behind me."  
"Moony? What's wrong?" Rosie asked.  
"Rose. Do as I say."  
Rosie did not bother to look back as she gripped Neville's hand in her own and pushed Ginny forward to stand behind Moony. Fear gripped her like a glove. Something was very wrong. Her friends backed themselves into the corner of the shack, and Rosie turned around to stand just behind Moony, grabbing onto his arm, partially to support him, and partially to keep from falling over herself. Sitting quietly in front of them was Rosie's dog. He cocked his head and gave Moony a meaningful stare.  
"Sirius." Moony spoke. His voice was strong, juxtaposing his weak physical presence. Her blood ran cold. What did he mean Sirius? Sirius Black? Before Rosie had time to react to the name, the grim-like dog began to rise and change. Quite sure that she was on the brink of fainting, she gripped tighter onto her guardian's arm and he wobbled. There, standing before them, ragged and dirty, was Sirius Black. He had emerged from the dog as though it was the most natural and expected transformation. Rosie's mouth dropped open. Her eyes widened and her magic began to tingle. The black dog… the one that she had fed and called Sweetie, was actually the man who had been hunting her down all year. There was a moment of utter silence as the escaped prisoner stared at Moony and Rose. His eyes drank them in as though he could not believe that this moment had finally come. Moony's stance became harder yet and he pulled Rosie closer to him, shielding her from the man before them.  
"Remus… my old friend." Black sighed. There was something about his words, something that sounded almost akin to longing. It was in that moment that Rosie lost her sense of reason. Her magic was boiling under the surface, tempting her, and Moony was not strong enough to hold her back. She stepped forward shaking off her guardian's hand as it moved to stop her, ignoring his faint cry of, "Rose!"  
"What. The. Fuck." Rose began, her voice slow and sharp.  
"Rose…" The man before her started to speak.  
"Be quiet." She commanded. "What the fuck is WRONG with you?" Her voice was rising in pitch as Rose inched forward. Black winced.  
"I have been FEEDING you for MONTHS!"  
"Moony…" She turned to the now ghostly pale man behind her, "He has been letting me confide in him for weeks as a dog. I literally just kissed his fucking NOSE!" She shrieked. The room shook slightly with the force of her words. Realization dawned on her face, still staring at Moony, Rosie whispered, "I talked to him about…" Her face twisted in horror. She had talked to him about Lockhart. Before Moony could stop her, Rose lunged forward colliding with the man and pushing him backwards. His body was weak with malnourishment, and he fell easily to the ground, catching himself and sitting up.  
"Rosie Please." He started again…  
"You are SICK! Did it fucking turn you on or something? She moved closer to him again, slowly driving him toward the wall.  
"No, oh Merlin no, Rosie…" The man gasped. "Remus." He pleaded, turning his eyes towards Moony.  
"What do you want me to say Sirius?" Moony snapped, his eyes flashed towards her in concern. "You sat there and LISTENED to me telling you all of that and not ONCE did you think to bloody tell me that you are actually Sirius Black?!" She had him pinned against the wall now. His gaunt face was wrought with emotion.  
"You didn't think that you had done enough?!"  
"I…"  
"SHUT UP!" She screamed again, her face inches from his. "You KILLED my parents. My dad was your BEST friend and you killed him and then you pretended to be my dog for almost the entire year! You took my trust and you did the exact same thing to me as you did to James Potter." She spoke at him. His face contorted in pain and Black closed his eyes.  
"Please, I didn't do it to hurt you… I just wanted to spend time with you." He rasped.  
"WHY?" She yelled back. "Why after what you did?" She curled her fingers into his dirty shirt, pressing him against the wall. His breath was hot on her face.  
"Oh, Rosie you look so much like your father." His sigh came out like a sob.  
"Stop calling me Rosie! You don't get to call me that! You killed my parents!" She cried in frustration. It was in that moment that Rosie heard a new voice cut through the silence.  
"Rose Lily Potter. Step away from Sirius Black. Now."  
It was Severus. His voice was icy and commanding. She paused for a moment and then felt her hand release and pull away from the man's shirt. Rose backed away and continued slowly until she was standing just in front of the potions master, her back pressed against his chest. She did not take her eyes off of Black, who had tried to stabilize himself against the wall as she retreated. Winding her hand through Severus' robes, Rosie spoke again. "Severus… he's a dog Animagus. He tricked me. He's been pretending to be a real dog all year." Severus met her eyes briefly and nodded to her in acknowledgement but did not reply.  
"Snivellus. Stay out of this." Black started and Severus sneered. Rosie glared. "Why did you call Severus that name?" She demanded her eyes trained on him. "What is Snivellus?"  
"It's what he is Rosie. He's a lying, scheming, snivelling…"  
"Enough." Severus said, his tone terse and irritated.  
For the first time since she had begun to speak, Black pulled his eyes away from Rosie. He got down on his knees and turned to Moony, ignoring Severus' wand, which was pointed at him threateningly. "Remus, please, I am the reason that James and Lily are dead, but I did not betray them. I did not do what they say I did." The man grovelled.  
Moony's eyes flashed with pain. "Sirius. How can I believe that? You sold them to You-Know-Who! Why would you do that? After all that James had done for you?"  
"Please Remus, you have to believe me! I was not the secret keeper. We switched and we told nobody. We switched to Peter."  
"Peter Pettigrew is dead." Severus noted coldly from beside her. Rosie just stared up at him in confusion.  
"No, he faked it! He is alive and he was the secret keeper I persuaded them to switch." Black begged. "I can prove it."  
"Time for explanations is long past Black. Get up. You are finished." Severus instructed, pointing his wand. Rosie could see the conflict in Moony's face. She could tell that he wanted to hear more. "Wait Severus… please." Rosie whispered softly. Conjuring up her best puppy dog eyes, she stared at him, blinking innocently. "I want to hear what he has to say."  
"Rose. Do not be foolish. This man is incredibly dangerous."  
"Severus, he's not even got a wand." She implored. A tense moment passed between them.  
"Five minutes." He agreed stiffly.  
"Oh Merlin, Rosie's got you smitten Snivellus." Black coughed out a laugh.  
Rosie saw red. "Fuck you." She spat lunging forward. Snape held her back with his free arm. Lurching her roughly, he brought his mouth to her ear and whispered, "control your emotions child."  
Black was staring at Moony again. "The rat Remus." He pointed to Rosie's friends who were huddled together, wide eyed and silent in the corner. "Peter is the rat."  
"That's not possible!" Squeaked Ginny from the other side of the shack. "Scabbers has been in my family for …"  
"Twelve years!" Black gasped madly. "Twelve years he had been hiding out in your home while I have been rotting in Azkaban!"  
Surprise flitted across Moony's face. He spoke from where he stood. "Miss Weasley. Please stand up and place your pet rat in the centre of the room."  
Ginny was trembling. Rosie shook off Severus' hand with as much force as she could muster and crossed the room. She held out her hand for her friend to place the rat into and tried to give her an encouraging smile. Ginny handed Scabbers over to Rose who placed him, still petrified, in the middle of the floor in front of Severus. She could feel the weight of everyone's collective stare on her back. When she set him down, Rosie quickly scampered back over to the potions master and grabbed a fistful of his robes once again. Black noticed this and wrinkled his nose, glaring at Severus. Severus cast a spell and just as Sweetie had changed into Sirius Black, Scabbers began to change as well. In his place lay a petrified man. His hair was littered with bald patches, and his skin was dry. Two large front teeth poked out from between his lips and his eyes gazed in every direction, terror evident in his expression.  
"Good God." Rosie shuddered and she quickly buried her face in Severus's robes. "I can't deal with anymore surprises tonight."  
The men questioned Peter Pettigrew and were able to determine that he was indeed the secret keeper for her parents' home. Black and Moony were poised to kill him by the time that Peter had finished speaking but Rosie was scared. She was still clinging onto Severus and she whispered quietly in his ear… "I don't want to see him die."  
Understanding flashed in his eyes and in that instant, he spoke, clearly, and with authority. "Pettigrew will be brought to the castle."  
"Shut it Snivellus. The rat deserves what he's about to get."  
Rosie's lip quivered, and she could see that her friends were covering their eyes. This time Severus appealed directly to Moony. "Lupin. In order to prevent the further traumatization of the children in this room, I must insist that the man be brought to the castle."  
Moony glanced over towards Severus and Rose and made eye contact with her. He must have seen the fear reflected in her face because he put his hand on Black's shoulder gently and said, "Severus is right Sirius. Rose and her friends do not want to see this."  
Severus put Pettigrew in another body bind and moved to levitate him but was stopped by the furious voice of Sirius Black. "Don't you touch him Snivellus! You are not going to bloody well screw this up for me."  
"Don't call Severus that name! Please." Rosie begged.  
"Rosie, sweetie, c'mon you've gotta see that Snape here only loves you because he was sick for your mother." Black pleaded.  
"Sirius." Moony warned, but it was too late. Rosie's eyes pricked with tears. She brought both her hands up to her face to wipe them away. Severus touched her back from behind. "Relax Rose. Control yourself." He whispered audibly. Sirius Black's face twisted with shock as she started to cry.  
"Shit, I'm sorry Rosie please don't cry. Please." Black moved towards her, his big hands outstretched as if he were going to try and comfort her. Rosie took a big step back. "Don't touch me!" She whimpered and she almost toppled Severus over with the force of her weight. Hurt flashed across the man's face, his expression faltered and he glared meaningfully at Severus who caught her. In the background, Moony was trying to reason with his old friend. "Sirius, come now, let's deal with one matter at a time. Leave Rose alone for now." Black's demeanor gave the impression that he was desperate for something from Rose… a reaction, or affection, she wasn't sure.  
"Get away from my goddaughter Snivellus!" He tried again, but Rosie was not having it.  
"Why are you so mean to Severus?" She screeched in indignation. For the first time in years she felt the urge to stomp her foot.  
"How can you be so close to him Rosie… he's… he's disgusting, fowl… he's death eater scum!"  
Severus stiffened beside her. That's how she knew that what Sirius said was true… death eater? Rose recalled Severus' own voice explaining to her what a death eater was just a few months previous. Her Severus… a supporter of Lord Voldemort? That was impossible. She looked up to him, her eyes pleading for him to deny to claim but he just did that horrible thing where he looked at her, and then looked away. His hands let her go, dropping to his sides. He even let his wand down. Icy horror dripped down Rose's spine. Sirius Black was telling the truth. Severus was a death eater, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt because the whole room had gone silent.  
Nobody even so much as breathed. Sirius broke the silence again, a triumphant look passed over him. It made Rosie's stomach curl. "Ah, he left out that little detail, did he?" Black continued. "Conveniently forgot to mention his creepy obsession with the dark arts?" This time it was Moony who cut in. "Sirius. That is quite enough. Leave Rose alone." Her professor's voice was clipped and serious. "Can't you see that you're hurting her?"  
Rosie turned desperately to Moony now, her eyes wild and fearful, the tension rising in her chest. He opened his arms from across the room and she shot into them easily. She tried to focus on his scent as she breathed. "You're ok Rose." He started, rubbing circles on her back. "You are in control. You are with me, Moony. In the shrieking shack. Her whole body was trembling with the force necessary to restrain herself. Severus' voice was smooth as ever from across the room directed at Moony. "Ask questions." He advised, still not making eye contact with anybody. Her potions master's voice only made her shake harder. Sirius Black was staring at them all, wide eyed and confused. "Ok, Rosie Sweetheart. What was the first birthday present that I ever brought you?" He asked.  
"A stuffed bear." She responded faintly.  
"Good girl." He replied. "and the place that we met on your seventh birthday?"  
"The playground by Crook Street." She replied again. Her voice beginning to even out. "Excellent honey. Now, how do you get to Crook Street from your aunt and uncle's house?"  
"Erm, you walk straight for two blocks, and then turn right by the big tree… then you go straight and left by the line of dumpsters."  
"Yes. Very very good job."  
Rosie was breathing almost normally again. The tension was still present but it was at bay. Moony stroked her hair. "Severus why?" Her voice broke into Moony's robes, and she could feel him sigh against her. Suddenly, something happened. Moony lurched forward, gripping the table nearest to him. "Moony?" Rosie cried, her voice raising an octave. Her guardian began to shake, harder than she had ever seen anyone do so. His eyes rolled momentarily back into his head. Everything happened very fast. Sirius Black jumped forward and wrapped his arms around Rosie's waist, trying to pry her off of the defense professor. "Rosie, he's transforming, you have to get out of here!" He cried in a panic. Rose struggled to get away from him.  
Moony was looking at her with an expression of pure terror, hair began to sprout all over his body and his face elongated. Rosie screamed and fought Sirius to get to her guardian. Sirius was weak, he could not hold her off for long. It was then that two stronger, more familiar arms came to close around her body, pulling her away with one sturdy motion. Neville and Ginny had already taken off running towards the castle when they realized what was happening to Moony. Severus tried desperately to move Rose but she was kicking him, struggling away from his firm grasp. "Let go of me!" She shrieked angrily, using her elbow as a weapon. Rosie's magic bubbled at the surface and she felt it explode out of her skin like a bomb. Severus went flying backwards, dropping her to the ground as he did so. Rosie used the advantage to move closer to where Moony lay writhing on the ground. Sirius had transformed again into a dog and growled at her in warning, stepping in front of the emerging werewolf.  
She knew now that Sirius Black would not hurt her, so she moved forward again without fear. A sharp tug at her shirt let Rose know that he was trying desperately to move her, but the dog in the case was just as weak as the man. The werewolf stood where Moony had stood, tall and thin, on its hind legs. Rosie reached her hand up to touch its face. The fur was course and the wolf bristled at her touch but did not move.  
"Moony?" She asked. Her voice meek and curious. The animal gave a low whine, and pushed its muzzle into Rose's shoulder. Rosie breathed a sigh of relief. He had obviously taken the wolfsbane potion, which would make sense, because he had been here early. Sirius had changed back into a man and was cautiously approaching Rosie where she stood still enraptured by Moony.  
"Rose…sweetheart, you need to step away. Moony isn't like himself when he's in his transformation. This is very very dangerous." He tried. The wolfsbane potion was a relatively new invention… one that Sirius Black would not be aware of due to prolonged stay in Azkaban. "It's fine." She snapped. "He's taken his potion and he is fully aware." Her glare was poignant. Confusion crossed the older man's face, but Severus, who was beginning to rise from where Rosie had flung him, interjected. "The girl is right Black. Lupin is in control. I brewed the Wolfsbane myself." Rosie turned to meet Severus' eyes but he looked away again. In a clear voice aimed at the wolf standing in front of her Severus spoke, "Lupin, I trust that you can manage not to bite the girl whilst I bring Black and Pettigrew up to Headmaster." His voice was cold and authoritative. Moony nuzzled her hair lightly. She assumed that it was a yes. Severus caught Sirius by surprise and put him in a body bind curse next to Pettigrew. Both men were lifted into the air alongside one and other and with that, Severus was gone. Rosie turned to face Moony who whimpered softly and lay down on the floor near the wall. She followed him, lay down too, and cried into his fur. The events of the evening replaying themselves in her mind. Sirius Black was innocent, and Severus was a death eater. Her Severus, the man that she trusted more than anyone in the world was in league with the wizard who had tried to kill her. It didn't make any sense. Moony rested his head on her as she cried, but was unable to speak.


	41. Chapter 41

Severus finished explaining to Albus the situation without ever releasing the two men from their body-bind jinxes. He was absolutely furious. It had taken almost all of his willpower not to murder Sirius Black then and there, the moment he laid eyes on the prisoner. The only thing that had stopped him was Rose. He could not bear the thought of her eyes losing more color than they already had. Her face of betrayal had been unbearable, because he saw not only Lily's eyes telling him that he was worthless, but at the same time her child's eyes, who he had become so increasingly fond of. Severus had been kidding himself that she would never learn the truth about his past, but the fact that it had been Black of all people to throw it in his face made the situation worse. It was just like Black to unhinge the sliver of trust that the girl had developed for the ex-death eater. The dog had an unfathomable talent for spotting people's weaknesses. He had chosen Rose's greatest insecurity, that he, Severus, had some sort of inappropriate affection for her, and two, that the affection stemmed from her mother. Then, he had coupled it with the knowledge that Severus was a death eater.  
The timing was horrendous. Severus knew that he would not be able to keep Black locked away knowing that he was innocent of all crimes. Well, he could, but he knew that the child would never forgive him for it. This meant that Sirius Black, as Rose's legal guardian, would be able to fill her head with as much undesirable information as he could about Severus, and that he Severus Snape, would once again lose the most important person in his life to a marauder. Lupin was one thing. The wolf was not an instigator, nor was he one to take charge. He had been happy to let Severus take on the authoritative role. Black however, he was nasty. Severus would have classified Black as worse than Potter, if the mutt had been the one to steal Lily away. All of these thoughts and more were rushing through his head and all that Albus Bloody Dumbledore did was smile, his eyes twinkling as usual as he listened with rapt attention to Severus' account of the events.  
"My dear boy, if you, being who you are, are convinced that Sirius Black is innocent of all crimes, then by all means so am I. Shall we revive the boys and decide how to proceed?"  
Severus remained stoic and cold in the corner while Albus questioned Black and Pettigrew separately and called for a ministry official to verify the story. It was only when Black mentioned his desire to see Rose Potter that Severus snapped back to attention. He jerked violently, "Not tonight Black."  
"Oh, be quiet Snivellus, like you have any say in this, I'm her godfather."  
"Sirius, my boy, Severus is very close with dear Rose. I hope that you'll respect his request for you to wait until morning. I'd imagine that the girl is quite overcome at the moment."  
"Dumbledore he's death eater scum! How can you let him near Rosie?"  
"I trust Severus Snape." Albus repeated, for probably the thousandth time.  
"We'll see how much little Rosie trusts you in the morning now that she knows what you really are." Black snarled, aiming his rage directly at Severus now. Albus raised an eyebrow. "You informed Miss Potter of Severus' past affiliations I presume?"  
"Of course, I did! She has a right to know!" Black shot back. Severus tried very hard to remain calm. Albus would think better of him if he did not speak.  
"Sirius, I know that you have suffered a great miscarriage of justice here, but Rose Potter is in a very delicate place emotionally at the moment. I can only hope that in your haste to reconnect you have not destroyed her sense of security tonight with your careless words." His voice was harsher than normal. His eyes were not twinkling anymore.  
Black spluttered. "Now, I would like you Sirius, to go through to Remus' office, and then into his quarters. I am quite sure that he won't mind. You will find a fresh set of clothes and a shower there. Feel free to rest and we can reconvene tomorrow." Albus added.  
"Severus, I would ask you to go and collect dear Rose from the shack, but I presume that you would prefer to remain in the castle?"  
He nodded.  
"I will go to her then. Instead I would like you to search out Miss Weasley and Mr. Longbottom and help them make sense of the situation."  
Albus waited for Sirius to leave before turning to Severus. "I am impressed by your composure tonight my boy. I have faith in Rose's ability to look beyond Sirius' words. I will be going now, before Miss Potter becomes too upset." With that, Albus swept out of the office.  
Albus made good time, reaching the shrieking shack within minutes of his departure; however, he found himself overcome by the sight that met him and was unable to complete the task at hand. For the first time in his life, Albus Dumbledore witnessed a fully transformed werewolf sleeping, curled up like a dog in a protective posture around a little girl. Rose Potter was asleep, seemingly unbothered by the elements or her current position, her hands curled in the wolf's fur. The girl definitely did not have problems sleeping. Smiling to himself, Albus pondered the changing times, and walked back to the castle much slower than he had descended. There would be time for talking tomorrow.  
Rosie woke early as the sun poured down over her face. She tried to sit up, but realized that she was trapped, encircled within two human arms. Snaking her way slowly out of his grasp, she released herself, and then pulled back blushing fiercely. Moony was naked. That must be how he woke up after a transformation, which made sense, robes were not part of his body. Luckily, at this point, it would take more than seeing a naked man to upset Rosie. She quickly located Moony's robes on the floor of the shack. They were torn, and she tried to mend them quietly. Rose didn't want Moony to be embarrassed. Averting her eyes, she draped the robes over him like a blanket, and sat down again waiting for her guardian to wake up. His chest was scarred, and dark circles framed his closed eyes. Rosie wondered why everyone had left her to sleep in the shrieking shack all night. She hoped desperately that nothing bad had happened. For Moony's sake, Rosie hoped that Sirius would be declared innocent, but blind rage still coursed through her when she thought of the man who had pretended to be a dog.  
She did not know how she was going to look that hateful man in his face knowing that he knew all of her shame. Still, thinking of Black was easier than thinking about the potions master. Rose couldn't even bear to think about Severus that early in the morning. She needed more time. If she had thought that Sirius Black hiding as her dog was a shock, the knowledge that Severus… her Severus was a death eater delivered a shockwave so large that it felt as though she might die from the pain of it. What did this mean? Rosie didn't understand how he had become a professor, or avoided prison. Just the thought of Severus made her shiver with sorrow. She trusted him so much. She had trusted everyone and it was all a lie. A soft whimper escaped her lips, and Moony stirred beside her. Slowly, a few tears began their descent down her face. Everything was wrong. The sobs came almost as a natural succession and the noise awoke Moony. He took one look at her, and tried to sit up, but he was not strong enough.  
"Shh, it's alright Moony, don't move." She begged through the tears. "Don't hurt yourself."  
"Oh, Rosie honey" He croaked. "You don't have to take care of me."  
He tried to sit up again, the robes moved too far down and Rosie reached quickly to pull them back up to his stomach. Moony reddened so intensely that she thought he might combust. "Rose, you… oh Merlin… I'm so sorry." He stuttered. "You Shouldn't've had to…"  
"It's ok Moony really, it's not your fault." She turned away, allowing him to slowly get dressed. When he was finished, Rosie reached out for him, allowing her guardian to balance his weight on her so that they could make to journey back towards the castle. "Rose… I don't even know what to say to you sweetheart." Moony started, his voice weak as they hobbled gradually up the path. "You must be so confused and upset."  
Rosie just grimaced up at him. "I just can't think about it." Her words quivered. She was trying to stay strong for Moony. "I'm glad that your friend is innocent."  
"So am I." He replied, but then looked at her meaningfully. "You know, I don't think he was pretending to be a dog to hurt you love. He was like a brother to your father. I'm sure Sirius just wanted to be around you."  
"I don't want to talk about Sirius Black." She shot back, glaring.  
"How about Severus?" Moony questioned, cocking an eyebrow. Rosie's glare deepened. "No."  
"Darling, I'm so sorry really. I know this all must be horribly shocking to you, but Severus loves you. He would never do a thing to hurt you."  
"Loves me because of my mother you mean." She shot back.  
Moony sighed. "Now you know that that's not true Rose. Sirius just said that to rile him up."  
"Even so, you knew. You knew he was a death eater and you didn't tell me."  
"I did." Her guardian replied solemnly.  
"Why?"  
"Because I trust Severus Snape, just as Albus does Rose. I may not like him, but I trust him, especially where it concerns you."  
Rosie just scowled at him again. It didn't matter that Dumbledore and Moony trusted Severus when she had trusted him, and he had lied to her.  
As they reached the castle, Professor Dumbledore greeted them at the entrance. He must have been waiting around. Rose could feel Moony tense next to her and she hugged his arm tighter. "It's ok Moony, I'll always be here for you." Rose looked up at him, her foul mood forgotten for a moment. Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Rose dear, your capacity for love in difficult times is one of my favorite things about you." He touched her chin affectionately.  
Moony's face was somber. "What happened Albus?"  
"I think we'd better take this conversation back to your office Remus." The headmaster replied, purposefully keeping quiet.  
Moony was obviously not well. He was nervous, and sick from his transformation the previous night. He gripped onto Rosie like he needed her to stand. That made it all the more special when upon opening his office door, Sirius Black leapt into his arms, pulling him away from Rose grinning widely. "Remus!"  
Rosie stepped back, her heart clenching. She felt lonely all of a sudden. Dumbledore stood next to her, watching her face serenely. He took her hand in his own. "Why don't we all have a seat?" He suggested.  
Sirius Black turned away from Moony in the moment and locked eyes with Rose. He approached her cautiously. "Heya Rosie. How are you feeling?"  
She glowered at the man, doing her best impression of Severus' stare. He frowned. "C'mon now love, I've been waiting so long to see you. Please don't be cross."  
Rosie looked to the Headmaster, her brows furrowing. She didn't know what to say. "I was hoping that maybe we could get to know each other a bit better." The man tried again.  
Dumbledore's hand rested on her upper back, supporting her silently, but he did not offer any words. "I think you already took that liberty upon yourself." She replied, again trying to mimic Severus' frigid confidence. A pang of sadness shot through her as the dour potion's master passed through her mind. The headmaster seemed to be finding their interaction amusing. Sirius flinched. "Rosie, I… I'm sorry really, I just wanted to be near you."  
Rosie shivered. "Yeah, grown men do seem to enjoy tricking me into being near them." She spat, not even realizing what she was saying. Her godfather recoiled, a pained expression on his face. "Rose. Honey, that's not really a fair comparison." Moony started from Sirius' side, his pale hand on the man's shoulder.  
"Is it not? I was under the impression that I wasn't supposed to be kissing the faces of random escaped convicts." Her voice was becoming naturally colder. "I slept on top of you." She added, the scowl on her face staying put.  
"Oh Rosie, Merlin, I promise I'm not a pervert, things are different as a dog." He pleaded with her.  
Moony sighed. He came over to her, and embraced her from behind, his weight heavy on hers as he still struggled to stand. The werewolf planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Sweetheart, maybe you could cut Sirius a little slack huh? He did just spend almost your entire lifetime in Azkaban."  
"Why should I cut him slack when he wouldn't do the same for Severus?" Rosie grumbled. Her expression downcast.  
"For Snape? Are you seriously that upset about that greasy git?" Sirius began, his tone raising. Anger bubbled up inside of her chest and she pried Moony off of her, turning to the ex-con and fixing her face into a hard glare. "Don't. Talk. About. Severus." She growled warningly.  
"Are you joking? Rose he is a death eater! He was in Voldemort's ranks!"  
"Well then he's MY death eater!" She shouted back. "So just shut up about him, please!"  
"Your… good god what has he done to you? You know he was the creepy one, always skulking around Lily, watching her. You should be more worried about him."  
That sent Rosie over the edge. "YOU have no idea how much Severus has done for me you… you jerk!" She screeched, lunging forward. Dumbledore held her back. "Rose, dear, I think maybe you and I might take a walk together, let the boys catch up. How does that sound?" He suggested lightly eyes twinkling like mad.


	42. Chapter 42

Rosie was still seething as Dumbledore guided her down the empty corridors, class was obviously in session. They were heading towards his office. The headmaster was smiling. "You know my dear, I have never heard the phrase 'my death eater' in use before, but I must say, I found it quite amusing." He said as they arrived at the familiar gargoyle.  
Rose glared at him.  
"I'm sorry dear, I shouldn't be joking with you, nothing about what you're feeling right now is humorous. I just wonder if maybe this little revelation might not be as big a deal as we make it out to be."  
"Not a big deal?" Rosie shot back. "He worked for the man that murdered my parents! Did he kill people? Why is he even a teacher?"  
"You are correct, he did work for Lord Voldemort, but you should understand that one does not simply join the death eaters. It is an initiation, and everyone who goes through the initiation process has their reasons for doing so, especially Severus."  
"Why did he do it then?" She threw up her hands. "Why did he sign on to kill and torture people?"  
"That, I cannot divulge. As you know, Severus is a man completely out of touch with his own vulnerabilities."  
"Can you at least tell me why he's a teacher?"  
"Severus has been working for me longer than he ever worked for Voldemort. He became my spy shortly after his initiation into death eater ranks. I'd trust him with my own life."  
"Is that what the freaky tattoo on his arm is? It made my scar hurt when I saw it."  
"Yes, I am afraid that death eaters are permanently branded as such." His eyebrows were raised. "He showed you his dark mark?" Dumbledore asked curiously.  
"No, it was an accident."  
"Ah." He replied quietly.  
"I just don't know what to think sir. What if Voldemort comes back? Will Severus hurt me? Is it safe to be around him?" Rose was quieter now.  
"I can say with absolute certainty, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Severus Snape will never do anything to harm you. He is the most loyal man I have ever had the pleasure of knowing."  
"Not to Voldemort."  
"No, you are right, but in that case, a previous and more potent loyalty interfered with his service as a death eater."  
"To who?"  
"That is a question that you will have to ask Severus directly my dear."  
Rose scowled at him again.  
"You know my child, you are the most emotionally expressive person that I've met in a very long time. It is quite refreshing." He smiled.  
"What am I supposed to do Professor Dumbledore? Should I go talk to Severus? Should I wait until he talks to me? I'm still so angry that he lied to me." She questioned, frustration still evident in her tone.  
"Knowing Severus as I do, I would advise you to initiate conversation with him when you are ready. He will more than likely avoid you in his shame."  
"He's ashamed?"  
"More than you know." The man confirmed solemnly.  
Rosie frowned. "Do you think he feels like I did when I found out about… you know, Lockhart?"  
"That is a very wise comparison on your part. I do believe it might feel something like that."  
"Then he must feel terrible." She stared off into the corner of the large office. Dumbledore did have a way of putting things that made her see them differently.  
"Might I ask how you have been coping after your unfortunate experience with my former employee?"  
"Um, not that well." She cringed.  
Dumbledore nodded sympathetically. "Quite understandable. Severus has been more preoccupied than I've ever seen him."  
"Yeah, he doesn't exactly understand my… um, coping mechanisms."  
"Yes, He has developed an interesting new dislike towards poor Mr. Diggory."  
Rosie flushed red.  
"Oh, you mustn't be embarrassed my dear. We are all only human, though I do hope that I have accurately expressed Severus' level of attachment to you."  
"Moony kind of said the same thing."  
"Yes, Mr. Lupin has been a great comfort to you as well has he not?"  
"Oh yes, of course. Moony is wonderful. Sometimes between him and Severus I feel like I have parents." She giggled a little. "Well, Moony pretty much lets me do what I want, Severus is kind of more how I imagined a…. never mind."  
"Do finish your sentence Rose dear. I'd love to know what you were about to say."  
She flushed again. "Well, he is kind of what I almost imagined a dad would be like." Rosie hid her eyes in shame.  
"Do not hide child. There should never be any shame in confessing your true feelings."  
"I just… He's a death eater? How can he be a death eater and… love me? Does he love me?"  
"I assure you, he does. Being a death eater does not hinder that affection in any way."  
"He's so mean. I wasn't really sure he could love anyone." She confessed timidly.  
"Everyone is capable of love my dear. Even mean-spirited potion professors." His voice was soft.  
"Not just because of my mom?"  
"No. I don't believe so Rose. His relationship with you is much different than his relationship with Lily."  
Rose fingered the locket that still hung around her neck. "It makes him really sad to talk about her."  
"You are not wrong. Though it is a shame that you cannot see how he acts when your well being is in question."  
That made her smile a little. "I'm afraid that I have revealed too much of Severus' soft side for his liking. I think it might be best if you rejoin Mr. Lupin and Mr. Black… or you might prefer to prepare yourself for your afternoon classes. That is up to you."  
Indignation bubbled up from within her. "I don't want to be anywhere near Sirius Black."  
"You know, he is your rightful godfather." Dumbledore told her.  
"Well I do NOT want to live with him. I want to stay with Moony and Severus like we had planned." She grumped.  
"And if Mr. Black were to live with dear Remus, how would you feel?"  
"I want to live with Moony. Sirius can be there I guess, if that's what Moony wants, but I don't want him to be my guardian. Just Moony and Severus, please sir. I want Severus to be in charge of me. He always knows what's best."  
"I am sure that Sirius will accept your conditions in time. He is desperate for your approval. You know, your father would most definitely want you to have a relationship with Mr. Black."  
"Well, then he will have to learn to keep his mouth shut." She crossed her arms.  
Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "Do not close yourself off to him entirely. If not as a father figure, maybe he will fit into your life in another way. Only time will tell."  
"Hmph." She replied. "I'll try."  
"People surprise us." Was his closing statement before Rosie got up to leave. She was not sure exactly where she would go, but a walk on the grounds sounded nice, now that there were no mass murderers out for her head.


	43. Chapter 43

Rose purposefully avoided her friends and sought out Cedric. She found him near the kitchens chatting with a few other blokes from Hufflepuff, and pulled him away. The tension that she was feeling was so intense, and so out of control that she had to do something. Rosie didn't care if Severus had banned it, she didn't care because that was before she had known what her guardian was capable of. Why should she listen to him? He was a death eater. He had done much worse that have sex. Cedric stopped her immediately. "Rose, hey, I don't want to do this if you're going to be upset. I hate seeing you like that." He chided lightly.  
"Please Cedric, I'll be fine I promise, just please. Make me forget." His face still showed his concern. Rose reached and began to unbuckle his belt. "I want to." She whispered in his ear, and Cedric began to meld with her into a kiss. He was hesitant, which was a total turn off, but she was trying to work with it. By the time she got him hard, she was on the verge of panic, her muscles aching for a magical release. It almost wasn't enough this time. As she climaxed against him, allowing herself to let go, Cedric sighed. He was sweaty and his energy was spent. She had been particularly aggressive. Rosie wanted to cry. She still felt the tension there, bubbling under the surface.  
"God Rose, that was unbelievable. Are you ok?" He asked her as his hand came up to cup her face.  
"Yeah I'm fine." She turned away wishing she was somewhere else. Rosie hated how much he cared for her wellbeing. Which sounded crazy, but he was so scared of hurting her that it made her feel gross, it made her guilty of something. Feeling only marginally better than she had before, Rose dismissed Cedric, who seemed hurt by her lack of desire to spend time with him, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Feeling alone, Rosie groaned with an inconvenient realization. She'd been so overcome with anxiety that she hadn't cast the bloody contraception charm. Fuck. Still overcome with anger, anxiety, disinterest, numbness, and frustration, Rose figured that her mood couldn't get any worse, so she slumped down to the dungeons with the intention of not getting pregnant and pissing off her guardian at the same time.  
Arriving at Severus' office she opened the door and walked in without regard for what he might be doing. The potions master looked up from his desk and his eyes widened at the sight of her. She decided to get right to the point. "I need an emergency contraceptive potion." Rosie stated calmly.  
Severus closed his eyes, his face exhausted. "Why… pray tell did you not use the charm?" He asked, his voice tired.  
"Caught up in the moment." She snapped. The man sighed, running his hands over his face in frustration. "Rose… please don't do this to yourself because you're angry with me."  
"Why do you even care? Aren't you just biding your time to hand me over to Lord Voldemort?"  
He flinched, closed his eyes again, and then spun around stalking into his potion stores. When he returned, Severus handed her two small vials, one with a pink potion and one with a blue. "The first potion is the emergency contraceptive, but know that you will get a particularly heavy menstrual period either today or tomorrow as a result. The second is a pain potion for when that occurs." He explained stiffly. "Should you need more pain potion, you need only ask." Rosie suddenly felt bad for what she'd said. He was helping her without question, and she remembered Dumbledore's words, she knew he was ashamed of his past, and she'd just thrown it in his face and then asked for his help.  
Impulsively, Rose reached forward and caught his left arm in her hand, pulling it toward herself. She began to undo the buttons on his sleeve until the dark mark was revealed to her. Severus tensed and it seemed as though he wanted to pull his arm away, but he did not. She cringed at the slicing pain in her scar, but she ignored it and traced the snake and skull pattern across his pale wrist with her finger. Full of mixed feeling, Rose knew that she had to express to him exactly how much this betrayal hurt before she could forgive. Looking up to meet his eyes, Rosie knew that he would try to read her mind. When she felt his gentle probe, Rose brought the memory forward of herself as a baby, the only memory that she had of her parents. Her father's voice shouting "Lily, take Rosie and run, please Lily run, don't wait for me. Go!" A thump as her father's body hit the floor. Her mother screaming as Lord Voldemort burst into the room. Hiding in the nursery, and her mother begging, shielding her daughter with her own body. "Not Rosie, please not my Rosie! Kill me instead, please." Voldemort's snake-like face cackling. The curse that killed her mom, the curse that was supposed to kill Rose. Pain in her scar.  
Severus recoiled as though she'd slapped him. His face paled and she thought he might be sick. "I just need you to understand why this hurts so badly." Was all that she told him before turning quickly away from the man, hastily leaving the office.  
What Rose did not see was Severus fall to his knees, his whole-body heaving with the weight of the memory that she'd just shown him. Lily's death, and the betrayal that clouded the memory like thick smoke. He had betrayed Lily, and he had betrayed Rose. Nothing had changed. The girl was going to succumb to her vices, she was already hurting herself further, because of him. Severus was a poison to those around him.  
He did not move off of the floor for several minutes, and when he did, it was to return directly to his quarters and down not one but several glasses of firewhiskey. It was much later that evening when Albus came to check on him. The headmaster gazed sympathetically towards him, piercing blue eyes devoid of judgement through those half moon spectacles.  
"Do not lose hope yet my boy. Rose showed you incredible loyalty this morning when confronted by Sirius Black."  
Severus did not speak. "The girl is very attached to you. Poor Sirius almost had a stroke when she referred to you as her death eater." The old man continued. Severus rubbed his face with his hands once again, but did not respond.  
"Don't push her away because you feel guilty. I assure you, she will only fall harder."


	44. Chapter 44

Severus had warned Rosie that she would get a period, and get a period she did, only it was about fifty times worse than any of her regular monthlies had been. It was heavy, and she could barely move from the cramping. Hermione had been confused at the change, but she could not tell her the reason. Somehow, she felt that her friend would not be sympathetic. This was the second day of classes that Rosie had missed, and she was beginning to feel behind. Around midday, she decided to try and make her way down to Moony's office. She was pretty sure that he had a free period. The pain was intense and Rose had to stop frequently on the way, doubling over. When she finally reached the office, she knocked lightly and had to squeeze her eyes shut tight. Rose was never going to forget the charm ever again. It was not Moony who answered the door, but Sirius Black.  
"Hey Rosie sweetheart, how ya doing?" He smiled at her. "Where's Moony?" Rosie asked, trying to bypass him before doubling over again groaning. Sirius' face contorted with worry as he caught her and tried to help her stay upright. "Remus, can you come here?" He shouted into the office. Moony appeared behind Sirius and held out his hand for her. "Hey love, what's going on? Are you sick?" He helped her onto the couch and she leaned against his body. Nausea winding itself around her intestines.  
"Emergency contraceptive potion." She muttered. Moony's eyes widened slightly. "Oh. Did I not teach you a charm for that my dear?" He smirked. "I forgot." She moaned and pressed her head into his shoulder. Sirius watched their interaction with a strange look on his face. "You taught her the bloody contraception charm?" He directed the question toward Moony frowning.  
"I did." He confirmed.  
"Remus, She's a baby!" It sounded like he was scolding Moony.  
Rosie glared at him, her mood suddenly worsening. "Stay out of it." She warned.  
"I'm just worried Rosie, thirteen is awfully young for that…"  
She turned to Moony with a disbelieving expression on her facing. Wincing in pain once again, she asked, "Is he messing with me?"  
Moony just sighed and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "Sirius, Rose has had different experiences than other girls her age."  
"Who gave you the potion honey?" Moony asked her. "You didn't get it from a friend, did you?" His face flashed with worry.  
"No, it was Severus."  
"Snivellus had an emergency contraceptive potion handy? Man, I don't think he's ever needed one of those." Sirius snorted.  
Rosie growled. "Don't call Severus that mean name." She retorted.  
The man's face twisted in disgust. "I have to admit, I don't see the attraction. What is with you and Snape?"  
Moony rubbed her arm softly. "Sirius, please." He tried. "I'm not attracted to Severus, he's like my father." She hissed, grimacing again as her insides clenched.  
Anger flashed in Sirius' eyes. "He is nothing like your father." He spat.  
Moony began to sense that the situation was getting out of hand. "Padfoot, take a step back ok? We've plenty of time to debate this when Rosie is feeling better, but right now she needs to relax, alright?" Then he continued, turning to Rose.  
"Love, I was under the impression that you'd taken a break from intimacy? You looked pretty upset that day when Cedric brought you to me."  
"This is different." She cringed, her eyes moving to Sirius who was watching them intently, something akin to sadness in his features.  
"How so?"  
"Moony, I don't want to talk about this with… him here." She gestured towards the ex-con. Sirius' face fell further. Her guardian looked as though he didn't know what to say until Sirius stood up, hands up in surrender and said, "It's fine, It's alright Rosie. I'll go make us all some tea," as he disappeared from the office into Moony's chambers.  
Rosie turned back to Moony who caressed her hair. "What's been going on with you and Cedric sweet pea?"  
She winced at the thought of explaining this again. "I… I can't be intimate when I'm calm."  
A puzzled expression crossed the man's face. "What do you mean by that?"  
"Like, I have to be almost panicking before I do it. It calms me down, but if I'm already calm… all I can think of is… him." Rosie shivered.  
"So that day… you tried to have sex while you were relaxed?" He probed.  
She just nodded. "Um, Severus banned me from using it as a way to control my outbursts."  
"So, what about this last time then?" Moony asked.  
"I, erm, didn't listen."  
"I see." Was all that he said, allowing her to relax against him as she moaned in pain once again.  
"You amaze me Rose. Your bravery, your will to keep going after you have been so disastrously let down by every adult in your life."  
"Do you really mean that?"  
"I do, and as much as I understand where you are coming from, I still worry for you. I don't want to see you hurting."  
"I hurt all the time Moony. My whole body feels like a ticking time bomb. I feel like my magic is out of control and it's scary."  
"I know honey." He replied as she began to drift into a soft sleep. Sleeping was the only way to escape the thoughts that twirled around in her mind obsessively.  
Remus sighed as Rosie slept against his chest. He wished that he could just encircle her in his arms and never let go, never let anyone hurt her, touch her, allow her to feel pain again. This was James' little girl, but she was so much more. She was a girl who had beared burdens far greater than most adults, she was kind and compassionate, unquestionably loyal. Remus looked up as Sirius entered the room. His heart clenched at the thought of his friend's suffering. He'd spent 12 years in Azkaban for a crime that he did not commit, dreaming of the day when he would be reunited with Rosie, and then she had completely rejected him.  
"I want that." Sirius whispered hoarsely. Staring at the pair of them. "I want to be that person for her, and I'm so jealous of you Moony, it hurts."  
"I get it Sirius. I've felt that ache. I visited her once a year, against Albus' wishes, and then I abandoned her. You should have seen how she was treated in that muggle house. I didn't realize that she would recognize me…" He trailed off.  
"What can I do? To make this better, to make her trust me. What the hell happened to her? I can't even begin to imagine…"  
"Rose was hurt beyond anything that I've ever had to deal with. Her professor last year, he was a monster. He used memory charms on her, and he…" Remus just closed his eyes and shook his head.  
"She seems so comfortable around you… um, physically." Sirius cringed, nodding towards them.  
"Rosie is not fearful, of anything really. She craves to be touched, she desires closeness with anyone. That just might be her undoing."  
"How the fuck did Snape get involved?" Sirius asked, his face wrinkling in disgust. "I would have sooner guessed that he was the git who was molesting her."  
"Sirius, please. You have to trust me when I say that Severus is a changed man, and if a relationship with Rose Potter is what you desire, then you need to stop insulting him in front of her."  
"Why? Why is she so devoted to him?" The man hissed.  
"He was the one who rescued her from her vile professor. He was the one who stepped up when no other adult in her life did Sirius. She trusts him profoundly, and if you think that you can get between Rosie and Snape you are wrong."  
"Surely, she doesn't need the slimy git around anymore… she has you, she has me…"  
"And she would abandon us both without a second thought if it came down to him or us Sirius. Severus has already taken the fatherly role away from us, that is how she sees him."  
"She seems to have no trouble coming to you." He retorted.  
"Yes, but she doesn't listen to me. She merely comes to me for comfort. Severus is the only one with some semblance of control when it comes to Rose. For the most part, she heeds his rules. She fears getting in trouble with him. Trust me when I say that Rosie is not an easy girl to be around. You will be thankful for Severus later on."  
"I highly doubt that."  
"For now, Padfoot, just try being her friend. Act with Rosie like you would've with James. She can take it. She needs a little fun in her life. That is how you will gain her trust."


	45. Chapter 45

It had been an awkward few weeks. Term's end was sneaking closer and closer and Rosie had been trying desperately to catch up on her homework and spell work. The news had gotten out about Sirius Black's lawful pardon, and Peter Pettigrew's arrest, and so everyone had been asking her about it. Ginny and Hermione had been helping her filter questions and spread the word so that she could focus on her studies. Rosie had been letting herself control the magical outbursts again with sex, and Cedric was beginning to relax a bit. With her friends, things were good, but with her guardians, everything was rather strange. She and Severus had barely spoken in weeks and Rosie was feeling the loss. She longed for him to talk to her, give her an excuse to go to his office, but she remembered that Dumbledore had said that Severus probably would not seek her out. She had been spending a great deal of time with Moony, but Sirius was always there with him, so she was less comfortable in the professor's office than she had been before. The ex-con had been mostly keeping quiet, or skulking around when she was present. Sometimes he just sat around as a dog.  
It was not until yesterday that Moony sat her down alone to have the conversation that she'd been expecting.  
"Honey, I just wanted to check and make sure that you were still interested in living with me when the term ends. Severus suggested I ask you."  
"You talked to Severus?"  
"Yes, I did."  
"Oh, course I still want to live with you Moony."  
"I'm honored that you feel that way love. Of course, you will still be brought to Severus' home during the full moons, and the floo network will be connected to his flat in case you want to pop over there for a visit."  
Rosie smiled at the idea. "I did have one more thing to ask you about though sweetheart…" He started cautiously, and she knew what was coming.  
"It's ok Moony. It's fine. He can live with us." Was all that she said.  
Moony's eyes widened. "You really don't mind honey? If it makes you uncomfortable, you know that is the last thing I want… he's just…"  
"Your best friend. I get it Moony. Don't sweat it."  
"Thanks Rosie." He smiled.  
"But I do have a condition." She said, raising an eyebrow.  
"What is that…?"  
"Cedric comes over whenever I want, we are allowed privacy, and nobody tells Severus." She stated firmly.  
"Oh sweetheart, you will be the death of me. You know that your father would skin me alive if he ever found out I'd made this agreement with you? Severus would as well."  
"Well, luckily nobody will be telling either of them." She responded challengingly.  
"Fine." Moony conceded, raising his hands in surrender.  
Rosie smiled. "Great. Then we're all set."  
"Are you sure you're not a Slytherin love?"  
"We'll I've learned from the best."  
Thinking about Severus made her chest tight. Rosie had to go and see him. She stood up and winked at Moony, making her way down to the dungeons with trepidation. Rosie was surprised to find that Severus' office was already occupied when she arrived in the dungeons. Draco Malfoy sat, with his back to her. His voice was hushed and his tone worried. Severus listened with rapt attention to what the boy had to say.  
"I think he is planning something, there have been groups of those men in and out of the manor, mother is becoming preoccupied."  
Rosie cleared her throat. Both boys startled, looking up from their conversation. "Miss Potter, come in." Severus invited her silkily.  
"Potter." Malfoy glared.  
"Malfoy."  
The boy got up to leave. He passed her roughly, knocking her with his shoulder so that she tripped sideways as he left.  
"Fucking git." She muttered.  
"Yes, and you are just a ray of sunshine." Severus drawled.  
"At least I'm not you." Rose shot back.  
"My we are cheeky today."  
There was tension behind the playful exterior of their conversation. "Severus… I…"  
"No. Do not apologize to me." His voice was firm. "I should have informed you from the beginning of my previous connection with the Dark Lord."  
"Yeah, you probably should have." She nodded. The silence was awkward for a moment. "Sirius Black is a git." Rosie proclaimed, breaking the pause.  
"No truer words have ever been spoken." He replied, "But, in this case, the mutt was only the unfortunate messenger of my folly. I was, and I am a death eater Rose. I am not a good man."  
"Dumbledore trusts you, so does Moony. I do too."  
"I have killed people child. I have hurt people, tortured them, created potions designed to torture. I have witnessed atrocities, much like what befell you, and done nothing to stop them."  
Rosie flinched. "Should the Dark Lord rise again, I will serve Albus as a spy for the light as I have done before, but I will be a death eater again. I will watch as the Dark Lord tortures people, as the death eaters kidnap, murder, rape, and now, every single time, I will see your face and hear your screams. I will do nothing, because my soul is sacrificial. It is already tainted. I will fill this role so that someone else does not have to, and you will be in danger every moment that you spend with me."  
Rosie's stomach tightened. Her tummy hurt. The tension began to build within her. Hearing Severus talk that way was too much for her to handle. She wrapped her arms around her torso, expression downcast. Severus could sense her impending reaction and shook himself out of the fervor than he seemed to have been caught up in. She was a little girl, she was not an adult. He had been speaking to her as if she were a grown witch. No, this was a child, but she would not remain a child much longer if the prickling of his dark mark was any indicator. Rose Potter had precious few childlike experiences left, and Severus would be damned if he would be the one to rob her of them.  
He straightened up, and moved over to her allowing the girl to slump against him, taking her into his arms. It was in that instant that Severus was sure of it. Under his care, no harm would come to Rose Potter, not ever again. He would do everything in his power to see that her suffering was minimized.  
"Relax Rose. You can control this. Take deep breathes and relax. "I am sorry, I sometimes forget that you are still a child. How you have managed to come through so much hardship and retain your innocence is beyond me, but I might have to take a page out of your book when this is all over."  
"When what is over? You talk like Voldemort is back, but he isn't." She insisted. "He isn't." Her breathing was laboured.  
"Not yet my child, but he will be, and it will be soon. I don't say that to frighten you, but to warn you. The world is going to become a lot darker than it is now, and you are going to be at the centre of it."  
"I don't want to." Rose growled, her body arching against him.  
"You will not be alone. Not for a second. I will be here, Albus will be here. Even your blasted werewolf will be by your side."  
The girl's body began to soften, she closed her eyes, and the reopened them, green orbs met black and Rose sighed. "I have not been behaving in a manner consistent with my recovery." She admitted weakly.  
"I am well aware." He informed her.


	46. Chapter 46

Rosie jolted upright in bed letting out a horrified shriek, pain shooting through her scar. Sweat coated her body and the nightshirt that she wore clung to her moist skin. Moonlight streamed in through the window and her breathing laboured, chest heaving. In almost an instant, she had two men in her room, their eyes wild and worried. Rosie brought her knees up to her chest, her bare legs warm from the blankets.  
"Rosie, what's wrong?" Moony bent down to sit on the bed, resting his hand on her knee. Sirius stood back observing them. Rose clasped her hand to her forehead trying in vain to squash the ache that emanated from it. "I was dreaming." She breathed shakily. "Voldemort, he killed a muggle. Nagini, his snake was there. He's plotting something."  
"What is she talking about Remus? Voldemort's dead."  
"He's not dead, he's not dead. He wants me dead. He wants to kill me." She was beginning to panic now. "He's plotting something." Rosie removed her hand from her forehead and it was streaked with blood. "Fuck!" Sirius shouted. "Remus, we have to go get Dumbledore!" Moony was on his feet in an instant. He stroked Rosie's cheek quickly, "It'll be ok sweetie, I'll be right back." He said as he left the bedroom, heading towards the floo in the sitting room. Sirius moved to kneel in front of the bed.  
"Let me see." He commanded gently, prying her hand away from her scar where it had flown up to rest again. Rosie had moved to sit with her legs off the bed now, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that she was only in her sleep shirt and knickers. Sirius didn't seem to notice. The man pulled out his wand and pointed it at her scar, vanishing the blood and doing the same to her hand.  
"Listen, whatever happened, you're safe now ok? We've got you." He tried to give her a small smile. Sirius wasn't very good at comforting her, but her heartbeat did begin to slow. The dream had seemed so real, it felt so real. Voldemort had spoken parseltongue to the snake. Why would she dream that?  
"Hey, look at me." He coaxed. "You're fine." Sirius brought her into a hug, but his fingers dug into her sides and Rosie squirmed under is touch, giggling madly. He was tickling her, and she quickly forgot about the dream, arching away from him. "Siri stop!" She shrieked, her chin making contact with his shoulder as she tried to worm herself away from his hands. "What?" He grinned. "Is something bothering you?" A glint in his eyes as he trapped her in his grasp. That is how the pair was found, by Remus who brought in tow Dumbledore, followed by Severus.  
Sirius was still barking with laughter and Rosie had to wipe the tears from her eyes that the tickling had brought about. Severus was glaring at Sirius so intensely that she thought he may burn a hole into the man's skull, but Dumbledore's eyes were alight with amusement.  
"Well, I dare say that we needed a bit of laughter." The headmaster smiled softly. Sirius stood up, his face returning to its previous seriousness. Rosie stood up as well. The mood shifted in the room once again and the tension was evident. Dumbledore approached her and traced his finger across her scar. Once all of the preceding amusement had died in her chest, Rose flushed red and she became once again aware of her state of dress. She was looking up into the faces of four grown men, all of whom were staring at her intently, and she was basically nude in her t-shirt and underpants. Not to mention, she was kind of backed into a corner. Turning to meet Severus' eyes, she tried to convey this sudden embarrassment. Rosie was entirely at the mercy of everyone here. She crossed her arms over her stomach. Severus observed her carefully. "Alright, stand back." He said, almost shoving Moony out of the way to approach her. He lifted his wand and cast a charm wordlessly. A pair of blue pajama pants came hurdling towards them and Severus caught them deftly. Severus held them out to her, and put his hand on her back to support her weight as she slipped them on.  
"Thanks." She muttered, leaning into the potion's professor.  
"I would suggest that we continue this conversation in the sitting room. There are far too many bodies in such tight quarters, lest we forget who we are in the presence of." Dumbledore suggested lightly.  
Rosie agreed, but she did not say so. Once in the sitting room, Rose took her place next to Severus, curling against him sleepily. Sirius was watching them. He always did that. It was something that annoyed her endlessly.  
"Now, my dear, do you mind retelling your dream once more for everyone to hear?" The headmaster requested. As she retold the events and described the house in which the dream took place, Dumbledore looked more and more concerned, his lips thinning to form a tight line. However, if he was troubled, he did not announce it, nodding his head as she spoke but offering no insight. Moony and Sirius were exchanging worried looks as she spoke, and she couldn't see Severus' face because she was leaning against him, but his body was tense. When all the facts were exchanged, the headmaster stood up to leave, gazing pointedly at Severus. Rosie didn't want her potions master to go, she had missed him. It had been two weeks since the summer holidays had begun, and she had not seen him once. The full moon wasn't for another week. While she adored living with Remus, and was even starting to tolerate Sirius' playful attempts to win her affections, she felt her first guardian's absence. Ignoring Sirius' growl of indignation, Rose looked up at Severus from her spot next to him and asked, "Will you stay till I fall asleep?"  
"You are not staying Snivellus." Sirius stated matter of factly before Severus could even open his mouth in reply.  
Rosie glared. Moony just sighed and rubbed his temples. "Padfoot, go to bed."  
"Please Severus." She implored.  
"Go up to bed. I will be along." He conceded stiffly. Rosie sighed and then heaved herself off of the couch and stalked upstairs, sure that they were about to have an argument about her. She had second thoughts though and stopped at the top of the stairs to listen.  
"You can't be serious, you're going to let him into her bedroom unsupervised." Sirius hissed.  
"You dare suggest…" Severus started angrily.  
"Sirius. I am one hundred percent positive that Severus has less than zero sexual attraction towards Rosie, do you think I would let him up there if I thought otherwise?" Moony argued.  
"Have you forgotten how he was with Lily? That's the only reason he spends so much time with Rose." Sirius countered.  
"I seem to recall several instances of your questionable moral behavior as a Hogwarts student as well Padfoot. We are all adults now."  
"If you mean Black's voracious pursuit of anything in a skirt…"  
"It wasn't like that!" Sirius growled.  
Rosie covered her mouth and giggled softly. Somehow, it was not hard to picture Sirius roaming the school halls, ladies' man extraordinaire. He was quite charming. The man infuriated and offended her on a regular basis, but in the moments when they were alone, he was pretty good at making her like him. Those moments were few and far between.  
"Just go to bed Padfoot, relax, and forget about Severus for once in your life." Moony sounded irritated now, which was a rare occurrence.  
"Fine." He conceded finally, but don't say I didn't warn you."  
Rosie heard him begin his trek towards the stairs, and instead of moving to hide herself, she waited. When Sirius was close enough to her, she stuck her hands out to catch him, pulling the man to face her so that they were able to talk privately in the hall.  
"Woah! Heya Rosie." He smiled.  
"Sirius. Please…" She started. "I know that you are just worried about me, and that you don't like Severus at all, but you have to believe me that he is not doing anything inappropriate with me." She tried to reason with him calmly. Rosie was tired of this being brought up over and over again.  
"Honey, I know that you feel that way, but you don't know him like I do."  
Rose had to close her eyes to avoid expressing her growing frustration. "Siri, I do know him ok? Really well, and you never got to know him in any other capacity than childhood rivals. It's like if twelve years from now, I run into Draco Malfoy and try to convince his family that he is evil just because we didn't get along in school."  
Sirius sighed. "I don't know Rose."  
"Listen." She started in an urgent whisper. Rose knew that Severus would come up soon, he didn't like Moony enough to stay down there with him. "When we all found out that my professor was a pervert in disguise, I stayed with Severus in his quarters for over a week. He viewed the memories with me. He saw me naked like a hundred times. He had to force me to use the toilet because I wouldn't get out of bed to do it. If he were going to molest me, he would have done it. He has never been anything but appropriate and I honestly don't think I would have gotten through that time if it weren't for him."  
Sirius was staring at her sadly. She hated talking about Lockhart because she loathed that sad look that she always got.  
"Ok Rose. Listen, I know you hate me, but I'm just looking out for you, like your dad would've wanted me to." His mouth was turned downward in a frown.  
"I don't hate you Sirius. You just make me so angry. I just… don't need the same things from you that I do from Moony or Severus, can't you understand that?" She pleaded.  
"What do you need from me then Rosie?" He asked her seriously, his face contorted with some sort of emotion.  
It was in that moment that Severus ascended the stairs, quiet as ever, or maybe he had been there the whole time… and folded his arms. When he caught her gaze, he raised an eyebrow. "Am I… interrupting something?" He drawled.  
Rosie glanced back at Sirius who frowned. "No." she responded, and gave Sirius a quick hug. "We'll talk tomorrow Siri." Rose said as she turned her back and followed Severus into the bedroom.  
"We have graduated to nicknames with the mutt now I see." He began.  
"Don't you start now too. I am done playing the middleman." She shot back, taking a seat on the bed. Severus sat down across from her.  
"Was there any particular reason you requested my presence? Are you alright?" He asked her, his face serious as usual.  
"Not really. I just missed you." Rosie shrugged. "I don't like when you're not around."  
"I believe the headmaster connected the floo from this residence to my own for a reason."  
"I didn't want to bother you for nothing."  
"I do not do anything of great importance over the summer holidays." He stated matter of factly.  
Rosie furrowed her brows. "Is that your way of saying that you're bored and you want me to visit you?"  
"It is an invitation child. You may feel free to bother me, as you put it, when you wish."  
"Thanks Severus. You didn't come in here to molest me, did you? Because I have spent far too long trying to convince Sirius otherwise." She smirked and pushed his shoulder playfully.  
Severus growled. "I do not find that humorous."  
"Would you rather I was still scared of you?" Rosie countered.  
Severus just glared. Rose knew that her dour guardian only partook in humor on his own terms.  
"Can I go to Neville's grandmother's summer party this year? And do you think I could go to the Quidditch world cup as well?"  
"Why don't you ask your wolf?"  
"I want to ask you." She said stubbornly.  
He harrumphed. "When is the summer party?"  
"Next month."  
"And the quidditch event?"  
"August."  
"Fine, but you'll require an adult to go with you to that."  
"Will you go?" Rosie smiled brightly.  
"At the risk of offending your Gryffindor sensibilities, I'm going to politely decline. Might I suggest someone who is more well versed with the idea of enjoying oneself. Perhaps your dogfather."  
"He is not my father anything." Rosie crinkled her nose.  
"Go with Black, Rose. You'll have more fun."  
"Alright, but don't forget I invited you first." She winked.  
"Brat." He glared back, but his glare was more like a smirk. Severus moved to sit against the wall, crossed his arms and looked pointedly down at her. Rosie guessed that that was her cue to go to sleep.  
"Goodnight Severus."  
"Goodnight child."  
The next morning when Rose awoke, she was still tired. Not having slept much the previous night due to all of the excitement, she'd resigned herself to spending some extra time on her appearance that morning. As she finished the last of her morning routine, leaving her hair loose and pulling on a Gryffindor sweatshirt and some tights, Rosie realized that it had been officially three weeks since she had seen Cedric. They had corresponded a bit, but she knew that he had been hurt the last time that they'd been together because she hadn't been in the mood to stick around afterwards. She made a mental note to invite him over. Gliding down the stairs to the smell of Moony's cooking, Rosie was met by the sight of her guardian and Sirius in the kitchen together on the verge of a food fight, grease dripping down the ex-convict's arm as he poised to fling a piece of bacon at Moony.  
"Good morning." She smiled brightly at them. Moony turned to face her grinning widely and Sirius took the opportunity to toss the bacon that was still in his hand at Moony's face. The man responded by lunging at Sirius, trying to trap him in a headlock. "You two are adorable." Rosie winked as she sat down at the table. "Seriously, you would make a cute couple."  
Moony released Sirius from the headlock instantly blushing. Sirius, turned to Moony and winked, making a kissy face. "What Remus you don't think so?" He teased. Rosie moved to give Moony a kiss on the cheek. "I'm just joking." She smiled, taking a seat at the table. "Can Cedric come over this week?" Rosie aimed the question at Moony.  
He stared at her pointedly and she raised an eyebrow silently reminding him of their pact. "Yes, of course he is welcome." From across the table Sirius wrinkled his nose. Rosie glared.  
"You haven't asked to see Cedric for a few weeks, did something happen?" Moony asked lightly.  
"Erm kind of."  
Sirius cocked an eyebrow now, putting his fork down. "He isn't giving you a hard time, is he?"  
"No, more of the opposite."  
The two men both seemed lost at her statement so Rosie clarified, "I guess I am learning that when you shag someone in a broom closet and then don't talk to them for a week, they start to get agitated." She rubbed the back of her head, chagrined.  
Sirius spat out his pumpkin juice. Moony's eyes twinkled. "Indeed, that does tend to leave people sore." He smirked at her. Rosie raised her hands in defeat. "How was I supposed to know? I'm thirteen. I've never had a boyfriend before."  
Her guardian rubbed his face with his hand.  
"How old is this Cedric boy?" Sirius glared.  
"Seventeen." Moony answered for her and Sirius' eyes widened.  
"Not yet!" Rosie interrupted. "He will be seventeen after I turn fourteen!"  
"I can feel James rolling in his grave Remus." He whined.  
"At least this one's not nearly forty." She glared and Sirius flinched.  
"Rosie…" Remus started.  
"It's true." She defended. "Though, the next one might be if Cedric keeps acting like hurt puppy."  
"Why didn't you want to talk to Cedric? The poor boy probably thinks he's upset you." Moony changed the topic.  
"Erm… I don't know. I kind of don't know if I should stay with him. I don't think he suits me very well."  
"Oh?" He raised and eyebrow. Sirius was beginning to eat his food again.  
"He's too bloody nice." She complained. "I think I need someone with a bit more… erm… initiative. If you get what I mean." She tried to explain awkwardly.  
"Stoooooop. I'm trying to eat." Sirius moaned.  
"Sorry Siri. Hey, I was gonna ask you. Do you think you might want to go to the quidditch world cup with me in august?" Rose changed the topic.  
The man's eyes widened and he turned to Moony who winked. "Yeah Rosie, that sounds really great." The man beamed. It was the first time she had seen Sirius with a smile that reached his eyes.  
"Good, ok. Thanks Siri."  
"Anytime kid."


	47. Chapter 47

Rosie was nervous that Saturday. Cedric was supposed to come over, and she had been worried about how he would react to seeing her after three and a half weeks of separation. They had been exchanging letters, but the letters never contained much substance. Moony had already lectured Sirius into giving them privacy and had convinced the ex-con that it was of great necessity that they go into town to the muggle cinema even though he was one again becoming ill with the impending transformation. When Rose answered the door, Cedric was smiling. He swept her up into a sincere hug and told her that he had missed her. She felt automatically relieved. After Rose had given him a tour of the house they settled down to chat in her bedroom.  
"I wish you had invited me over sooner." Cedric frowned.  
"I know, I'm sorry Ced, this is just all new for me, living with Moony… sorry Remus and Sirius."  
"Where did you live before?"  
"With my muggle aunt and uncle, but they couldn't take care of me anymore so last summer I stayed with the Weasleys." She smiled, trying to mask her frown.  
"Oh? Why couldn't they take care of you?"  
Rosie grimaced. "Erm, they were never very nice to me. My aunt didn't get along with my mother before she died."  
"What does that mean… they weren't very nice to you? They didn't like… hit you or anything did they?"  
She couldn't lie to the boy. He was so sincere. "Not often. Mostly they just made me work a lot… sometimes they didn't feed me." She was hoping that he wouldn't look at her differently. Rose had never even told Severus or Moony about the Dursleys. The boy could sense her apprehension and he quickly changed his face, forcing a smile. "That's why you're so skinny huh?" He said poking her stomach. Rosie let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, I guess."  
"Hey, you're so beautiful Rose. You know that right?"  
She blushed. "Thanks, Ced." She felt bad for talking badly about the boy to Moony and Sirius. Maybe there wasn't anything wrong with being too nice.  
"Can I ask you something really personal Rose? I don't want you to get upset, I'm just curious."  
Rosie nodded slowly, her face full of apprehension. "What's going on in your mind when we have sex? Sometimes I'm so scared that I'll break you, or hurt you, or do something that you don't want, and then sometimes you're like… really into it."  
She sighed. "Cedric, I don't want you to be cross with me."  
"Why would I…?" He started at the same time that she continued. "I can't have sex when I'm calm." She blurted out.  
Cedric's face contorted in confusion. "What? What do you mean?"  
"I… I'm so sorry I haven't told you. I kind of, use sex to calm me down, but I get panicky when we try and do it when I'm already calm."  
He was silent for a few minutes and Rosie's stomach churned with anxiety. "Does this have something to do with… um, the person who made you…?"  
She nodded. "I have these magical outbursts, like panic attacks where I do really powerful accidental magic and sex stops it from happening."  
"Oh wow. That's really shitty Rose… I didn't realize. So, when you're really into it, you're on the verge of a panic attack?"  
"Usually."  
"And when you're not… then you have like, bad memories?"  
She nodded. "Rose… was it another student that did that to you? Or was it like… a man? It wasn't your uncle was it?" He frowned.  
"No! No no, Uncle Vernon is a git but he wasn't like that. It was a man not a student, but I can't really talk about it Ced, please." She closed her eyes.  
"It's ok, it's fine I won't ask anymore."  
"I don't want you to feel like I'm just using you for sex." Rose blurted out after another moment of silence. "Really, I'm glad it's you, you're so kind, and gentle. I just, don't want you to feel bad or anything."  
Cedric cocked an eyebrow. "Rose Potter you can use me for anything you want to." He whispered in her ear, slowly pushing her back onto the bed. She was calm, and anxiety began to overtake her. "Listen, we haven't really been able to be alone before, without fear of being caught. Let me take my time. I want you to feel safe having sex with me anytime, not just when you're tense. I'll stop the moment you say the word." His eyes met hers as he pleaded with her. Rosie wasn't sure what he meant by take his time.  
Cedric settled her into a horizontal position on the bed, his teeth grazing her neck as he moved on top of her. Rosie's breath caught and she had to fight to stay alert and aware of her surroundings. The boy could feel how stiff she was.  
"Relax Rose. You're here with me. Here, let me try something." He offered, helping her back into a sitting position. Cedric moved slowly, undoing each button of her blouse with care until she was left without. Taking her into his arms, he worked the clips open on her bra. When she was bare chested, the boy took a moment to drink in the sight before him. Rosie, who was used to quick broom closet and drawing room encounters, was not accustomed to undressing herself fully in front of him. Her mind was beginning to focus more intently on the boy in front of her and he rolled the pad of his thumb lightly over one of her nipples. She let out a soft groan. He took that as a sign of her willingness and relaxed her back against the pillows, taking the same nipple into his mouth swiftly, toying with the other. Rosie began to ache in between her thighs in a way that she hadn't felt before, negative memories long forgotten as she bucked her hips up to meet his. This was a different type of need, a different feeling, it was like he had created tension within her. Cedric flicked her nipple one last time and slowly his lips began to travel lower, down her stomach, tongue tracing a line to the waist of her tights. He took the tights in his hands and slid them down her legs and off entirely leaving Rosie only in her knickers. He was still fully clothed.  
Repeating the same action with her underwear, Rose was left fully nude and completely out of her comfort zone. "Ced?"  
She asked timidly. "Are you alright?" His voice was earnest.  
"I… I think so." She stuttered in reply. The boy pushed her legs apart, causing a blush to spread into her cheeks and down her neck.  
"Relax. You're perfect."  
"Ced, what are you…?" Rosie started but was cut off, her body arching in pleasure as his tongue delved into her folds. "Ahhh!" She cried. This feeling was something new. Her body responded to his touch without thought, fingers curling in his hair, pressing his mouth harder against her as his tongue explored. Cedric reached his hands up and began to tease her nipples once again, the pace of his tongue even as the heat increased between her thighs. There was tension stoking itself like a fire inside of her belly, impatience for something to happen, but she wasn't sure what it was. Glad that her guardians were not downstairs, Rosie let out a long moan of pleasure, pushing up to meet Cedric's mouth with reckless abandon.  
"Ced ugh! Don't stop please!" She cried out as something snapped inside of her. Losing her senses and succumbing to the pleasure, Rose whimpered, begging him to continue until, with a resounding squeal, her muscles clenched and ecstasy washed over her like water. "Fuck!" She cried out, falling back against the bed, chest heaving.  
"Oh Merlin, Cedric what was that?" Her breathing was still laboured.  
"That, dear Rose, was what I should have been doing for you all along." He smiled brilliantly.  
"Holy shit." She sighed, and then allowed Cedric to undress himself, and climb on top of her. He was rock hard, and she found herself completely immersed with desire. She was wet and he slid into her easily. Somehow, it felt smoother than normal. Cedric groaned and raised her legs up so that they were balanced on his shoulders. His member was buried to the hilt, deep inside of her as Rosie writhed beneath him. This was better. This was probably the best sex they'd ever had. She wondered why he had held out on her for so long. The pair came together, both sweaty and satisfied.  
When they had finished and began to get dressed, Cedric eyed her curiously. "Was that ok?" He asked her.  
"You can do that to me any time you want Mr. Diggory." She laughed, taking his face into her hands and planting a chaste kiss on his swollen lips.  
It was in that moment that Rosie heard the door downstairs slam shut and Sirius' voice call into the empty sitting room, "We're home Rosie!"  
"Shit." She cursed, still in her knickers. Cedric was shirtless. Sirius was such a git. He came upstairs and poked his head into her room just as Cedric was pulling the shirt back over his head. The bed was a mess, and Rosie knew that she reeked of arousal, her hair dishevelled.  
"Oh god." He cried, covering his eyes and turning away from the scene. Rosie flushed and Cedric turned red as a tomato. "I can't Rose, fuck. You cannot do that here. Remus!" He called. "Come deal with your child!"  
She could hear Moony sigh loudly from downstairs. "Sirius, come down here please! Give Rosie some privacy!" Sirius was still cursing and muttering under his breath as he descended the stairs. Rose turned to Cedric and tried to shoot him a small smile.  
"Wait here, ok? It'll be fine. Siri isn't my guardian. Remus is cool. I'll get it sorted out."  
"Are you sure you won't be in trouble?" Cedric started.  
"Positive. Just give me a few minutes. Trust me, this is a lot better than if Severus found us."  
Trying to arrange herself properly, Rosie quickly threw her hair into a ponytail and walked downstairs to find Moony in a heated argument with Sirius.  
"You cannot be fine with this Remus, honestly. She is thirteen. That boy is almost an adult. James would lose his mind!"  
Moony's voice was surprisingly firm. "Sirius. James is Rose's father, but he has not had to be here dealing with the aftermath of what happened to her. He has not had to watch her crumble in front of him, or flinch away from his touch. Rosie needs good and positive experiences, you have to understand that."  
"Moony, I get that, but it's gross and so inappropriate for her to do that here when we aren't home!"  
"Sirius, they are teenagers. Don't make me remind you of your own Hogwarts days."  
Rosie coughed from the bottom of the stairs announcing her presence. Both men turned to face her. "I'm sorry guys. I meant to erm, be done before you got back." She rubbed the back of her neck chagrined. Sirius made a face.  
"Rosie, sweetheart. Please listen to me. This is not what your dad would have wanted for you love. He would've wanted you to stay a little girl just a bit longer." Sirius pleaded with her. Anger flashed in her eyes. That was a low blow.  
"Not what my dad would have wanted? Are you joking?"  
"Sirius." Moony warned from behind.  
He ignored the werewolf and moved closer to her. "I'm just worried for you. You've always been a little baby to me. The last thing I want is to see you hurt." He tried.  
Rosie sprang forward moving so that she was only inches from Sirius' face. She placed her hands on his chest and brought her lips close to his ear. "I stopped being a little baby the moment that a grown man decided to hold me down and force his dick into me while I screamed. Maybe if you had been here instead of in bloody Azkaban, that wouldn't have happened."  
Sirius' mouth fell open and his face crumpled. Rosie felt instantly guilty. "Rose." Moony admonished. His face one of disappointment.  
"You know what, screw you both. Neither of you have any idea what that was like, and you have no right to say anything about what I do to make myself feel better. Got it? You cringe just thinking about it. I had to live it."  
With that, Rosie flew back up the stairs to meet her worried boyfriend. She quickly packed an overnight bag with a few things. The full moon was the following evening. Rose would go and stay with Severus until it was over. She escorted Cedric out, passing Moony in the kitchen, who was staring at the wall sullenly. Sirius was nowhere to be seen. Cedric made her promise to write and tell her what had happened, and the moment that she had him out the door she rushed over to the floo and tossed the dusty powder into the flames.


	48. Chapter 48

Sirius did not move for hours. Rose`s words had hurt, but they had also delivered to him a blinding revelation. He could not be her father. Moony had told him this ages ago, but he hadn`t listened. He had been so determined to believe that there would still be a spot open to him, but there wasn`t. Rosie was not a little girl anymore blindly looking for love. She had it already and Sirius was just extra. Hell, he was pretty sure she liked that bloody boyfriend of hers more than she liked him. He`d noticed that Rose didn`t seem to be very close with her friends. This was completely opposite to Sirius, to how James and Lily had been… it seemed like Rosie had trouble connecting with people her own age. She spent so much time with the greasy bat, Moony, and the older boyfriend, but rarely talked about Hermione, Ron or Neville. Even Ginny Weasley who she considered her best girlfriend was seldom mentioned. Not once had Sirius heard her express a desire to have them over. He assumed that this was because Rosie was mature for her age… she had seen things, had things done to her that her friends probably would not comprehend. Sirius had never met anybody who had been raped before. In fact, he had recoiled the first time he`d heard Rose use the word. He had a hard time associating little Prongs with those images. He had been naïve… believing that only dark wizards, death eaters would be capable of that. Sirius would never have thought that a professor could do that to a little girl… she had been only just twelve from what information he`d been able to gather.  
She didn`t keep her friends close because she couldn`t confide in them. That`s why she poured her heart out to adult men… That was probably why she was with a boy three years older that she was. Any boy younger than that might not be able to understand her complex needs. Her humor was dark and biting, too mature for fourteen. She knew just the right words to cut deeply but was still sensitive enough to feel them. Rosie Potter was something that Sirius Black had never expected, but he still longed to be in her life. Thinking back to Remus` advice that night in his office he wondered if he could be her friend. Could he see past the image that he`d had in his mind of an innocent baby and come to know Rose for who she was now? A kind, caring, passionate, spit fire of a girl who longed for affection. Could he suppress his instinct to protect her long enough to really listen? Would she let him? These thoughts and more circled around in his mind as Sirius formulated a plan. He was determined not to let his best friend`s daughter fall through the cracks. If being her friend was what it took, then he would be the best damn friend she`d ever had.  
When Rosie came out of the fire on the other end, she was in a small sitting room, dark furniture decorating the space, books lining the walls, and everything in perfect order. Predictable. She shook her head. Severus was not in the room. Rose felt awkward exploring his home without him, but she didn`t want to be alone. She moved through a long hallway into another room, which was closed off. Jolting in surprise, she turned around, her ears picking up her guardian´s voice, clear and cold as usual caught in a conversation with another person. His voice was coming from behind another wall, which seemed to lead into the kitchen.  
"I would advise you to begin gathering your affairs, tying up loose ends, and creating allies Lucius. He will not be forgiving if he believes even for a second that you have abandoned the cause."  
"Severus, you cannot possibly believe that he will return. You are in Dumbledore`s pocket, surely he`d kill you on sight."  
"I am not concerned." His voice was silky.  
Rosie didn`t want to eavesdrop. She moved forward and balanced herself on the frame of the wall, crossing her arms. Now in plain view, she could see that Severus stood across from Lucius Malfoy, hands resting on the table and eyes fixed away from her and set on the blond man. Malfoy too was too enraptured in the conversation to notice her standing there.  
"I never quite understood where your loyalties truly lie Severus."  
"Nor I yours." He responded evenly. The men were drinking. It looked like maybe fire whiskey. Rosie cleared her throat. Lucius Malfoy nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned towards her, eyes wide.  
"I was not aware you had a guest." He started.  
Severus rounded on her then and cocked an eyebrow, "Nor was I."  
"Erm. Hi." She began awkwardly.  
Malfoy stood up then and set his glass down. "Now, I am especially uncertain. I only hope for your sake Severus that the Dark Lord does not share my concern, should he be made privy." And with that, the man moved to leave, having to pass her on his way out. Rosie stood tall and look him in the eyes as he passed, her heart hammering in her chest. "Miss Potter." He nodded as he left the kitchen, moving towards the sitting room where she assumed that he would floo from. When Rosie was left alone with the potions master, he stared at her, his brows furrowing.  
"I was under the impression that you would not be arriving until tomorrow night." He started.  
"Erm… yeah, I kind of had a fight with Sirius and thought I would see if I could come a day early?" Her voice was unsure.  
"Of course." Severus nodded curtly. He was acting weird. "I`m sorry for interrupting your conversation. I sort of came here on instinct."  
"It is not relevant." He motioned for her to sit, banishing the firewhiskey and starting some tea silently. "Did you bring your necessities, or will it be necessary to find you new ones?"  
"No, I brought stuff, don`t worry. You could always transfigure me little owl pajamas again though if you wanted. That was sweet."  
He raised an eyebrow. "What did you fight with Black about?"  
Rosie glared remembering the argument. He had ruined a perfectly good day with his personal issues. "Cedric." She replied evenly.  
"Mm. you had a visit from Diggory? I had rather hoped you had forgotten about him." Severus half smirked.  
"You are all so annoying. Cedric is literally so nice. He is way nicer than I am."  
"He is also three years older than you, and a sixteen-year-old boy. Do not be so easily fooled."  
She rolled her eyes. "Just because you and Sirius were creeps at sixteen doesn`t mean that all boys are."  
Severus appeared affronted. "I was nothing like Black."  
"Ha. Yeah, I can`t really picture you snogging people`s brains out in a broom closet. Sorry sir." She laughed.  
"Please Merlin do not try." He choked.  
A sudden realization hit her like a brick as she remembered Sirius` conviction that he had been in love with her mom. "Wait. You didn`t do anything with my mother did you?" Her eyes widened at the thought.  
Severus winced and shut his eyes, rubbing his temples as though he had a headache. "This conversation is over now."  
"You DID!" She shrieked. "Oh my god gross Severus! That is so weird!" Rosie covered her mouth with her hand trying to muffle her incoming laughter.  
"Enough." He said as he struggled to turn himself into 'Professor Snape' again. "Your mother and I were never romantically involved."  
"Somehow I don`t believe you."  
"What did your dogfather say to make you so upset?" Severus changed the topic stiffly. His demeanor shifting.  
"Please don`t call him that. He is not my father."  
"And your mother was not my lover. Now we are even. What did he say?"  
Rosie groaned. "He just gets so uppity about the… erm, sex thing. He keeps bringing up my dad, like I want to talk about how James Potter would feel about my sex life."  
"I`m sure your father would be just as enthused as the rest of us." He drawled sarcastically, glaring at her. "Are you still panicking?"  
"You know, actually, I have been doing pretty good on the whole outburst front. I haven`t been having them."  
"And yet you are still partaking in sexual activity."  
"Can we not do this? I don`t want to feel guilty anymore for doing something that makes me feel better."  
"Please reassure me that you are at the very least remembering your contraceptive charm."  
Rosie was about to open her mouth to say that she was not stupid… but then her stomach lurched. She was stupid. So, caught up in what Cedric had done to her today, the charm had not even crossed her mind until now. Her eyes went wide for a split second. Severus could read her like a book.  
"You idiotic child. Do you have any idea how disastrous an unwanted pregnancy would be for you right now? Any idea at all?" He was cross with her, his eyes flashing dangerously.  
Rosie just covered her face with her hands. "I`m sorry sir." She whined.  
"Do not apologize to me. Apologize to yourself. There is no excuse for this senselessness. The consumption of a second emergency contraceptive potion within a two-month time period is unacceptable not to mention dangerous."  
"Severus I…"  
"Do not make excuses. This is exactly why children should not have sex. You are not responsible enough. I am going to have a serious discussion with the Diggory boy. The dunderhead is almost of age, he should not still be this thoughtless."  
"Oh Merlin, do not talk to Cedric, please."  
"If you ever so much as think about sex without the charm again you will not like the outcome. I am going to mention this to your wolf. He is in a better position to be monitoring you." Her guardian`s voice was threatening.  
Rosie flushed red with indignation but she didn`t say anything. She had been really stupid.  
With that, Severus spun on the spot and stalked off down the hall. Rose followed him like a puppy. She turned into such a little girl around Severus. Unsurprisingly, he had opened the door to what appeared to be a potions lab. Still glaring at her, he motioned for her to sit on a stool in front of an empty cauldron.  
"You are going to make it." Severus said. She could tell that this was not optional.  
Staring up at him with wide eyes, he looked at her and then turned away to gather the ingredients. When he was through, he stood behind her and folded his arms.  
"Begin by slicing the valerian root into exactly three-quarter inch pieces…"  
It had taken Rosie nearly two hours to brew the emergency contraceptive potion correctly. She wondered if Severus really didn`t have any on hand or if he was just punishing her. Rose also wondered why Moony hadn`t suggested that she take this potion the first time that he had confronted her about Cedric. She reasoned that maybe he did not know about it. Moony seemed even less likely than Severus to be having casual rendezvous. He was basically a saint. When she had finished, Severus put out the flame and began to ladle the potion into several vials. Lastly, he tipped the ladle into a mug that he`d conjured and eyed it meaningfully.  
"I am so going to regret this in the morning." She cringed.  
"Even more regrettable would be if you died in childbirth at age fourteen because you could not remember to cast a simple charm." The potions master spat.  
Rosie did not reply to that. He was really pissed off at her and she felt like an idiot. The potion went down easily, but she knew that the next morning she would suffer. Blushing, Rose realized that she hadn`t brought any feminine hygiene products because she wasn`t expecting her period for another two weeks. This was going to be so awful. Severus had barely spoken an unnecessary word to her, and he`d sent her upstairs to the guestroom early where she ate dinner alone.  
That evening, when Rosie had finished her shower still feeling dejected, she returned to the guestroom to find a box of menstrual products sitting perched on top of a folded pair of pajamas. They were pink with little owls on them. She wanted to cry. Severus always took such good care of her even when he was cross.


	49. Chapter 49

Rosie slept fitfully for a few hours and then awoke in the wee hours of the morning, her whole body seizing with cramps. When the first wave of them hit, she cried out, doubling over in bed. Oh, she was such an idiot. Breathing heavily, she tried to wipe the tears that were beginning to sting in her eyes. Feeling a warmth pooling between her legs as Rose sat up and realized that she had bled all over herself, and all over the bed. Severus must have heard her cry out because there was a soft knock at the door. Ashamed and embarrassed, she began to cry. Her guardian turned on the light and moved over to her, taking in the mess that she had made. Instead of looking disgusted or angry, he knelt beside her and place a hand on her back. Rosie felt empty. In that moment, she longed for her mother, for a kind of comfort that a man, even Severus just could not give her. Closing her eyes, she tried to picture her mother`s face, tried to imagine how it would feel to be held by her. The fantasy did not last as Severus cut into the silence. "Can you stand?" His voice was soft. Something inside of her snapped then, and Rosie leaned against the potions master and whispered in a tone that was barely audible, "I want my mom." He stiffened.  
"I want my mom." She sobbed again, her hand curling into the fabric of Severus` pajama top. "I know. Your mother would want nothing more than to be here with you." He tried to comfort her.  
She nodded, and then let out a simultaneous mewl of pain. "Alright, I`ve got you child." He soothed as he allowed her to lean on him, helping Rose to the bathroom. Before he left her alone in the loo, Severus took out his wand and cleaned her pajama pants carefully. She heard him do the same to the bedsheets while she fixed herself.  
When she had finished, Rosie gingerly made her way to the door again which wasn`t shut all the way. Severus heard her fumbling around and opened it, taking her once again under his arm. For the entirety of that morning, he stayed by her bedside as she writhed and whimpered with the torment of her own mistakes. He did not utter a single unkind word. Instead, he read to her from Potion`s Digest, and when she insisted, Quidditch Weekly. The pair had moved into the sitting room in the late morning and Rosie was surprised to see the tall frame of the headmaster appear in the fire as he stepped through to where they sat. She was covered in a blanket, hands clutched around her middle.  
"Severus my boy, I thought that Miss Rose wasn`t coming to stay until tonight." He smiled.  
"Yes, that was the plan; however, she deemed her guardians to be inadequate in providing care as of yesterday afternoon."  
Dumbledore turned to her now. "Rose, are you ill dear?" He asked, taking in her pained expression. She flushed red and the older man raised an eyebrow, turning to Severus.  
"She is nursing the effects of her second emergency contraceptive potion in two months." He said dryly.  
"Ah. Things are well with young Mr. Diggory, I take it?" Dumbledore asked. Then he continued, "You mustn't tell him yet, it's a surprise, but he is to be made head boy this year."  
Rosie smiled through the pain. "That`s great, he`ll be pleased." She replied. Cedric had really wanted to be head boy.  
"You may want to reconsider that decision Albus considering the boy`s stunning disregard for adult responsibilities such as the use of contraception." He growled aiming his insult at Rosie.  
Dumbledore chuckled. "Severus my boy, any news on the world cup?"  
"It seems that there is a group of them planning a show, but nothing more. It is of no connection to the dark lord aside from in name." He drawled slowly. Rosie`s ears perked up at the mention of the world cup. "What do you mean a show?" She asked, turning to Severus.  
"A death eater attack."  
"What?! There`s going to be a death eater attack? You don`t have to go do you?" Rose fretted.  
Severus cringed at her question. "It seems that they want to send a reminder that they are still present. There will be no specific targets. It is meant only to insight fear. I will not be in attendance." He continued.  
"Will it be dangerous to go to the world cup?" She looked at him pointedly.  
"I do not foresee an issue as long as you do not leave Black`s side."  
Rosie hesitated, already feeling bad for what she was about to ask, "Erm, is Sirius ok to…like protect me? I mean, he`s been in Azkaban a long time…"  
Dumbledore interjected softly. "I assure you my dear, Mr. Black remains a competent wizard. He was an auror you know. For a short while."  
"He was?" Her eyes widened. Rose had not known that.  
"I do believe that the Weasleys along with Amos and Cedric Diggory will be there as well. You will not be by yourselves."  
Rosie`s heart skipped a beat at the thought of meeting Mr. Diggory.  
"On second thought… perhaps it is as you say, too dangerous to attend." Severus scowled at her.  
Rosie reached out and swatted his arm lightly. "Prat."  
Dumbledore`s eyes twinkled amusedly at their interaction. The headmaster got up to leave, citing the necessity to brief Sirius and Remus on the situation. Before he could turn away, Rosie stopped him. "Sir, wait." She whispered. "Can you, um… take a note to Moony for me? Please?"  
"Why certainly my dear."  
She tried to get up to look for some paper, but Severus stopped her, summoning a quill, ink, and a small parchment. Rosie smiled tightly in thanks. Then, she wrote,  
Moony. I`m sorry. I love you so much. Please be safe tonight. Yours, Rosie.   
PS- Please remind Siri that I don`t hate him.   
She handed the note over and the headmaster smiled and nodded, bidding farewell and making his way out through, the blast of green flame engulfing him. She turned back to Severus. "Sir, do you think that my mom would like Cedric?"  
Her guardian`s eyes widened at the question and then he sighed loudly as he usually did when she asked odd questions. "The Diggory boy is the Hufflepuff incarnate of James Potter, Rose. For that reason, I am inclined to say yes." As usual, he lingered over the name, `James Potter` like it was acid on his tongue.  
Rosie choked. "Oh god Severus. Why would you say that?! I`m gonna have to go scrub myself clean now."  
The potions master appraised her carefully and then said, "It is not uncommon for girls in general to seek out men who are like their fathers." His tone was awkward, as though he did not want to be having this conversation.  
"Ah Stop. You don`t actually think I have some sort of Oedipus complex, do you? Wouldn`t he have had to be around for that to happen?"  
"Not necessarily."  
Rosie shivered violently. "Ok let's talk about something else now."  
"I couldn`t agree more." Severus drawled.


	50. Chapter 50

When Rosie arrived home the next day, she immediately busied herself taking care of Moony. Severus had wanted to come talk to him right away, but Rose had convinced him that it would be better when he was feeling better. Moony had been really happy to see her and she felt immediately guilty for getting angry with him the other day.  
She kissed her guardian`s cheek and stroked his hair as he stubbornly tried to get up to hug her. "Don`t get up Moony, it`s already forgiven."  
"Oh Rosie, what did I ever do without you?" He asked her softly, as she passed him some oatmeal and a hot cup of tea. "How was your time with Severus?" Moony croaked.  
"It was nice." She smiled back. "He is such a prat though. He thinks I have an Oedipus complex."  
Moony choked out a laugh, tea dribbling down his chin. "I`m sorry?"  
"You know, the want to have sex with your father thing…"  
"Yeah, yeah I know what it is my love. Why would he say that?" He was obviously trying to mask his amusement.  
"He says that Cedric is the Hufflepuff version of James Potter."  
Moony was silent for a moment. "I hate to say it Rosie, but he might be kind of right." He admitted. "Cedric is a lot like your father. He even looks like him, that hair tussle that he does."  
"Moony…" She whined. "I told you so that you would reassure me, not so that you`d agree."  
"Oh, well in that case, you are right, he is nothing like James. Severus must be mad." He said, but he was still smirking.  
"I hate you all." She covered her face in embarrassment.  
"Say, isn`t the Longbottom`s party coming up this weekend?" Moony changed the subject expertly.  
"Yeah, it is, it`ll be nice to see my friends again for the evening."  
"I bet. Just be careful. Don`t drink anything stronger than butterbeer, yeah?" He winked.  
"Is it ok if Ced brings me back when it`s over? He won`t stay."  
"Of course, dear. Hey, I meant to ask, what do you want to do for your birthday this year?"  
"I hadn't really thought about it to be honest Moony."  
"I was thinking maybe we could do a little dinner here? Me, Padfoot, Severus, and Cedric?"  
Rosie`s eyes widened. "Erm… do you think that`s a good idea?" Her voice was wary.  
"I don`t see why not love. I`m sure everyone will be on their best behavior."  
Rosie though back to Severus threatening to talk to Cedric about contraception and cringed. "We`ll see Moony, it`s still a few weeks way."  
When Sirius finally stumbled out of bed around eleven, Rosie had some porridge and tea still heated up for him. "Thanks Rosie." He said bleary eyed. By that time, Moony was already sitting up and reading his copy of the prophet.  
"Did you have a good time with Snape?" He asked, wrinkling his nose. It seemed like they had a collective agreement not to speak about what was said the other day.  
Rosie nodded… "Say, Sirius, Cedric doesn`t remind you of anyone that you know or have known does he?"  
Moony chuckled from the couch. Sirius` expression changed to one of confusion. "Uh, not really, why?"  
"Oh, thank Merlin. See Moony, not true. Sirius is the ultimate authority on this subject."  
Her guardian raised his hands in defeat, "You believe what you want to believe my love."  
"What am I missing?" Sirius looked at Moony.  
"What she`s really asking you, is if Cedric is like James."  
"Moony! You`re not supposed to plant the idea in his head!"  
"Like James? In what way?" He was interested now. "I haven`t really ever talked to the kid. I guess they kind of look alike."  
"Urgh. Look at what you`ve done now!" Rosie glared at the werewolf.  
"What?" Sirius cocked an eyebrow.  
"Severus thinks that Rosie has an Oedipus Complex." Moony supplied.  
Sirius dropped his spoon. "Guys, I`m eating."  
"Thank you! Somebody with some sense!" Rose rejoiced, hugging Sirius around the neck from behind. She quickly looked for a new conversation. "Hey Siri, I didn`t know that you were an auror."  
"Who told you that?" He asked casually.  
"Oh, it was Dumbledore when he came to see Severus the other day."  
"I was for like, one minute." Sirius winked. "Still…" She prompted. "That`s pretty neat."  
"Yeah well, I was mostly just a cocky bastard. It was Remus there who got me through the training. He would sit up all night tutoring me for the exams, and then he would go to work himself."  
Rosie didn`t want to ask why Moony didn`t become an auror too. She thought that she probably already knew. Instead, she shot a wide smile towards her favorite werewolf and said, "I wish you were coming back to teach us defense again next year." Dumbledore had offered the position to him again, but Moony had declined, too nervous that the student body would find out about his condition if he were around too long.  
The week passed evenly, and Rosie, by Friday morning was panicking. She had forgotten to buy something to wear for the Longbottom's party, which was that evening, so she was left staring blankly into her closet. She didn`t even know what she was supposed to wear to a wizard social event, regular clothes, robes, a dress? Figuring that the person who was most likely to know would be Sirius, she called him into the room.  
"Heya Rosie, is everything ok?"  
"Erm, you`re a pureblood. I need your help."  
"Ok…" He replied cautiously.  
"What do I wear to the Longbottom`s summer party?" She asked, blushing. "I`ve never been to a wizard party before."  
Albeit a bit awkwardly, Sirius obliged in helping her create an outfit. In the end they chose a flowy blue summer dress with some small, strappy heels. Everything of course was accompanied by the locket that Severus` had given her. She never took it off. When the evening descended upon them, he even helped her charm her hair from its usual straight texture into smooth waves.  
"How do you know how to do that?" She asked him curiously.  
Moony, who was watching, interjected. "Padfoot knows a lot of charms to impress the ladies." Sirius rubbed his neck, chagrined but did not deny it. "You look lovely sweetheart." Moony said as he kissed her cheek. Cedric was waiting downstairs when they had finished. He looked very charming in his black dress robes and held out a corsage for her to wear around her wrist. It was a white rose.  
She greeted him with a slightly less than chaste kiss, her hand moving to press against his chest. Cedric eyed Moony and Sirius and blushed, running his fingers through his hair. Out of the corner of her eye, Rosie saw Sirius` eyes widen. "Moony did you just see that. He did the thing, you know, with his hair. Fucking hell. Snape was right." Rosie glared. "Oh my god, shut up. Shut up right now." She warned.  
Cedric was confused. "What did I do? What did Professor Snape say about me?"  
"Absolutely nothing." Rosie said firmly.  
"You just remind us all of someone that we used to know." Moony`s eyes twinkled mischievously.  
"Oh, who was that?" Cedric offered. He was obviously nervous to be there.  
"We are leaving right now." Rosie confirmed, dragging him by the wrist towards the fireplace. "I will bring her home safely!" Cedric called as she pulled him into the flames with her and shouted the address.  
When the pair arrived at the party, it was already in full swing. The Longbottom Manor was very nice. It was large and open, and there was a live band already set up and playing in the center of what appeared to be a dance floor. Ron and Hermione rushed over to them followed closely by Ginny and Dean Thomas. That was new.  
They took turns embracing and then Ginny, who was eying her and Cedric pointedly made her promise that she`d tell her everything later. Rosie knew that she wouldn`t tell the girl everything. Almost immediately, Cedric went to grab drinks for he and Rose. Coming back with two butterbeers, he made small talk with her friends for a little while, until Neville came over, greeted them shyly, and then announced that they were going to have some sort of entertainment going on. Everyone began gathering together in a crowd around the stage that the band had previously occupied. The first person to come onto the stage was a man the size of professor Flitwick who was accompanied by several large snakes. Rosie giggled to herself. This could be fun. Cedric was staring at her confused. As the man began his act, he had the snakes do all sorts of tricks, do things to make the people just frightened enough to enjoy themselves. Rose tapped Cedric on the shoulder, "That snake wants to eat him." She whispered to him.  
"You can understand it?" His eyes widened.  
"Yes. The other one is only doing this because the trainer promised to feed him a live cat."  
"That`s disgusting." Her boyfriend wrinkled his nose.  
When the first act was done, the announcer came out and informed them that they would have a celebrity guest joining them that evening. Rosie didn`t even think twice about it, blinded by the fun that she was having. When Gilderoy Lockhart stepped out onto the stage smiling, her blood ran cold. Her friends clapped even though they were not very fond of the ex-defense professor, but Rosie was beginning to panic. What was she supposed to do in this situation?  
The man pinpointed her almost instantly from the crowd and winked. She had to get away. Her heart was beating a thousand miles a minute. Cedric, who was oblivious to her suffering, did not think twice about it when she announced that she had to use the loo. Once in the stall, Rosie began to panic in earnest. She could not be here. The doors on the stalls began to rattle with the force of her emotion. She had to find a way to numb herself. They hadn`t even been there an hour. Her friends, Cedric, they would be suspicious if she just up and left. It wasn`t fair that she had to be the one to leave. He should have to leave, but nobody knew what he had done to her. It felt like an eternity that she sat there on the floor of the bathroom, and when Rose finally worked up the nerve to get up and rejoin her friends, Lockhart had finished whatever it was that he was doing and had begun to mingle with the other guests. Rosie spotted Cedric, and ran over, taking his hand and pulling him away. "Hey, you were in there a long time, are you feeling ok?" The boy asked, his face full of concern.  
"I think I need something a bit stronger than butterbeer." She admitted weakly, trying to keep her body turned away from where she thought that Lockhart was. Cedric was nervous to allow her near the suspicious punch that had been set out for the adult guests, but Rosie insisted. Numerous times. She tried to act normally with her boyfriend, with her friends, but she was looking over her shoulder every two minutes, pinpointing the man`s exact location. Her body unable to relax. A couple hours had passed, and Rose Potter was most definitely drunk. Cedric was beginning to fret, knowing that he was the one who was going to have to bring her home to Moony and Sirius, but she wasn`t thinking about that. Instead, Rosie was thinking about two big, strong hands, holding her down. Hot breath on her neck, and white-hot pain. It took every ounce of restraint not to explode, not to cry, or scream from the rooftops what he had done to her. Cedric seemed to be getting agitated. "Rose. You need to stop drinking, what is the matter with you?"  
"Nothing Ced, I`m having a great time, loosen up." She slurred, falling into his chest as he tried to move her off the dance floor.  
"No, god Rose, Professor Lupin is going to murder me. C`mon. I need to get you home."  
"You spoil sport." Rosie laughed, trying to mask the tears that wanted to fall. She tried to pull him into an abandoned room, her hand moving into his robes. There were still people around them, and Cedric pushed her away sharply. "No way am I having sex with you like this. What the hell has gotten into you?"  
"Nothing, I`m exactly the same as always." She tripped over herself and he caught her. Rosie seized the opportunity to slip her hand once again into her robes, taking him firmly into her hands. Cedric recoiled.  
"Rose fuck this. I am not doing this right now. You are acting like an idiot." He threw up his hands and turned away. Rosie tried to call after him, but it was too late at that point. Cedric was gone, and she was alone and drunk out of her mind in an empty drawing room. It was only then that she allowed the tears to fall. Curling into herself on the floor, she sobbed. Nothing about this was fair. She couldn`t even have a nice time out with her friends without being accosted by her past. Cedric didn´t want her. He had rejected her and called her an idiot. He had left her here all alone. Rose didn`t even know how she was going to get back home. She could barely walk on her own let alone floo. The night was beginning to cool down and now Rosie was shivering and sobbing at the same time. Her whole body heaved with the force that it took not to destroy the Longbottom`s spare room. Somebody must have heard her sobs, because the door to the drawing room opened slowly to reveal an intruder. It was Draco Malfoy. The boy's eyes widened at the sight of her, his nemesis, in such a fragile condition. It looked like he might turn around and leave, but then Rosie´s body heaved again, and she let out a whimper.  
"Potter, what the fuck?" He growled. Moving towards her. Rosie flinched away from him and tried to stand up. She couldn`t do it on her own, and the boy caught her.  
"Malfoy just leave me alone. Please."  
"You are drunk." He stated coldly. "Why the fuck is Rose Potter drunk off her rocker at a summer party?"  
Rose let out another sob. "He raped me." She sniveled, falling forward into the awful boy`s chest. She had to tell someone.  
"What? …Who?" Malfoy turned around as if he were looking for someone. "Was it fucking Diggory?"  
"N..n..noooo. "Rosie wailed. "Lockhart. He raped me, when he was our teacher and n…now, he`s here."  
"Fuck." Malfoy swore again. "That`s messed up."  
Rosie screeched as she felt something scuttle across her foot. It was a huge black beetle. Malfoy let her go briefly and picked it up, tossed it out the window, and then returned to her side. He looked beyond uncomfortable.  
Rose clung onto his robes, pulling him closer. She needed to forget, she needed to release the tension that was trapped inside of her. "What the hell are you doing?" the boy snapped, pushing her away.  
"Will you just, fuck me?" She pleaded, trying to pull him into a sloppy kiss.  
"Potter. You are piss drunk and I hate you. You hate me."  
"I don`t care. I just need to forget. Please."  
The boy hesitated, but Rosie did not. She lunged forward, trapping his mouth with her own, and pulled him onto the nearest setee. Fucking Draco Malfoy was so much different than having sex with Cedric. He was rough and demanding. He held her arms down as he entered her. It was oddly satisfying. Rosie arched into him as he kept her locked in a bruising kiss. He had been the one to cast the contraceptive charm, not her. The Slytherin boy pounded into her, groaning and alternating between tugging on her hair and pushing her down farther into the couch. She came more than once, oppressing for a moment the fire than had been burning beneath the surface. When he had finished, he rolled off her, buckling his pants back up again and waiting for her to pull on her underwear.  
"That never happened." He stated.  
Rosie nodded her head in agreement, trying to stand, but falling over from the alcohol still coursing through her system. "Merlin Potter, where do you live?" He asked tightly, his arms coming to close around her again. She gave him the name of Moony`s flat, and he pulled her toward the nearest fireplace.  
As they landed in the sitting room, Moony and Sirius, who had both been waiting up for her, stood up in surprise. Malfoy was supporting her body, and Rose knew that her face was red and blotchy from crying.  
"Mr. Malfoy, what is the meaning of this?" Moony demanded in a voice that she`d never heard him use before. "Get the fuck away from her." Sirius growled in support.  
Malfoy released her into Moony`s arms and stepped back. "Hey. I just found her like this ok? She`s piss drunk and going off about a fucking professor that raped her."  
"Shit." Sirius cursed. "Oh Rosie."  
Malfoy groaned. "I`m not going to say anything to anyone, I just thought she needed help. That Diggory shmuck abandoned her."  
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. We`ve got it from here." Moony nodded. The Slytherin turned away and left just as quickly as he had come, and she was left alone with her guardian and Sirius.  
It was Moony who spoke first. "Honey, what happened?" His voice was wrought with emotion.  
Rosie started to cry again, curling into him. "He was there."  
"Who was there my love?"  
"Lockhart." She sobbed as she buried her face roughly into his chest.  
Sirius opened his mouth from beside them, "Is that…?" He started, and she could feel Moony nod.  
"Oh, Sweet pea, why didn`t you come home right away?" Moony held her tightly to him.  
"I wanted to stay, it`s n…not fair. I sh…shouldn`t have to leave."  
"I know, I know Rosie. It`s ok. I`m not upset with you."


	51. Chapter 51

Rosie slept in Moony`s bed that night. She had been almost inconsolable, her mind, which had left reason behind at the Longbottom manor, was torturing her repeatedly with the events of the evening. She had seen Lockhart, she`d gotten herself drunk, offended Cedric, and then Rose Potter had cheated on her lovely, sweet, and caring boyfriend with Draco bloody Malfoy. She had slept with Malfoy, told him about Lockhart. Severus was going to kill her. Moony had been so understanding. He`d wrapped her up in a big fuzzy blanket and pulled her against him in a restless sleep. For that reason, Rosie found herself snaking her way out of his grasp as quickly as she possibly could around three AM. She could not vomit on him too. Just barely making it to the bathroom on time, Rosie leaned over the toilet bowl and began to empty her guts, retching and moaning, her skin clammy. It felt as though the nausea would never pass. Her head split open with pain, dehydration lurking uncomfortably through her veins, drawing every ounce of hope that she might still have from her skin, which was now pearly with sweat. Two arms closed around Rosie as she leaned over the toilet bowl once again, hands moving up to collect her long dark hair, pulling it back and out of her face.  
"Ok Rosie, I`ve gotcha." Siri soothed, one hand now holding her hair and the other rubbing her back. She let out a sob. How had everything gotten so out of control? Rosie had been happy. She`d been happy and then he`d come along and ruined it and now she was a mess all the time. Now she was growing up and changing and becoming a permanent disaster. A year ago, Rose would have recoiled fiercely at even the thought of having sex on purpose, she had barely even known what it was… now she was… well she felt like, a slut.  
"Oh Sirius, I am so messed up." She groaned into the toilet bowl.  
"No. No you`re not Rose. You`re hurt and there`s a difference, you hear me?"  
"I did this to myself. I think I hurt myself on purpose Siri. I just feel so dirty, all the time."  
"Don`t say that Rosie." He whined. "You are not dirty. You`re sweet and caring and perfect and please just don`t think that you deserve any of this." Sirius begged her. They were both sat on the bathroom floor.  
"I hurt everyone that I love. Moony, Severus, you, Cedric. I ruin everything that I touch."  
"No sweetie you don`t. Remus and me, we`re fine. Snape is fine. Cedric, well I don`t know what Cedric is but he`ll be fine too."  
Rosie looked up into Sirius` eyes, guilt washing over her like cold water. "I slept with Draco Malfoy. On purpose."  
The man`s eyes widened.  
"I don't even know why! I`m not even sure I really wanted to." She cried softly. "I just did, and he let me, and now Cedric is going to hate me, and I told Malfoy about Lockhart. I shouldn`t have done that."  
Sirius nodded understandingly and pulled her into a soft hug, his chin resting on the top of her head, but he didn`t say anything. Finally, he sighed and whispered, "I`m so sorry that this man, this Lockhart, made you hurt this badly."  
"Sometimes I wish…sometimes I wish I`d just died with my parents." Rose confessed. She had never told that to anyone before.  
Sirius` grip on her tightened. "No, you don`t." He shook his head fiercely. "You just want to stop hurting. You don`t want to die Rose. I promise that someday you will be so glad that you lived. I am so glad that you lived. Moony, he loves you so much, he`d be lost without you. Even Ol` Snivellus wouldn`t know what to do if he wasn`t constantly sticking his beak into your business."  
"Hey!" Rosie chided.  
"Sorry, no Snape jokes. I know."  
Rosie took one last shaky breath and made a motion to stand up. Sirius held her arm. Instead of heading to her own bed, she found herself walking back down the hall towards Moony`s room again. Before she could move to leave, Sirius turned her around and looked her in the eyes. "Hey, listen. You`ve got people ok? We`re not going anywhere." The man said seriously. Rosie nodded in acknowledgement, shooting him a pained smile, and then he let her continue on her way. Curling back into bed beside Moony, Rose allowed herself to drift into a fitful sleep, her stomach still churning with nausea.  
By the time morning came, Rosie`s head felt like it had been split in two. Her mouth was dry and her whole body ached. She hadn`t showered, and she was pretty sure that she still had dried semen stuck on her legs. Moony wasn`t in the bed anymore so Rose guessed that it was after eight. On the nightstand, somebody had left a hangover cure potion and a big glass of water. She took it gratefully, but worried that Severus might have put it there. He was going to kill her. Drinking had not been on the list of things he had banned her from doing, but she assumed that it wasn`t because he hadn`t thought she would do something that stupid. Rosie hadn`t ever expressed interest in alcohol before last night. Really, she only did it because she knew that it was supposed to stop you from feeling. It had actually made her feel worse. Stumbling slowly down the stairs in search of her guardian, it was with a sickening dread that Rosie scanned the kitchen and found every adult in her life sitting down together at the dining room table. Nobody was speaking. Moony was there, his face solemn. Sirius sat next to him. Severus… Severus had his head in his hands. She had not seen him do that in a long time. Rosie was even more surprised to see Dumbledore sitting next to the potions master, a hand held out to the man as though he were trying to be a comfort. Did she cause whatever this was? Cautiously, Rosie let herself into view, shrinking back from the collective stare as she moved.  
"Is this like an intervention?" She asked softly, her hands coming up to rub at her temples.  
Severus` head stayed in his hands. He did not look up. That terrified her more than anything else could have.  
"Come have a seat honey." Moony directed her to the chair opposite him. Sirius shot her a pained glance. "You guys are really freaking me out." Rosie started anxiously. "If you`re gonna yell or be disappointed in me, or whatever… I`m all ears, just stop with the silence. Please."  
At that, Severus lifted his head and turned to look at her… but it was not anger that she saw in his face, it was… that horrible familiar expression. The same choking silence that he had had the morning that he and Dumbledore had talked to her in his office. When he spoke, it was in the very same tone, awkward, as though he wasn`t sure how to explain himself. Rosie felt a sickening twinge of dejavu as Dumbledore reached a hand our and place it over hers. "Rose." Severus began. "While you were conversing with Mr. Malfoy last night, was their anyone else in the room?"  
Her brows furrowed. Why would he ask her that? "No." Rosie shook her head. "I don`t think so anyways.  
"Ok." Was all that he replied.  
"Guys. Please, what is going on. Whatever it is, you`re making it way worse." She fidgeted. Moony cleared his throat and began to fish something out of his robes. It was a copy of the prophet. He opened it to the first page, and set it down in front of her, his face twisted with concern. Rosie`s lips parted as she read the headline and all the air left her body.  
"Girl Who Lived Accuses Former Hogwarts Professor of Rape."   
Thirteen, nearly fourteen-year-old Rose Potter was overheard by an anonymous source at the Longbottom manor on Friday evening having a private discussion with young Mr. Draco Malfoy. Notoriously enemies, this reporter was surprised to discover that Miss Potter gave an account to the Malfoy heir, detailing a rape that had occurred on Hogwarts premises. In the discussion, Potter alleges that Gilderoy Lockhart, author and dark arts expert, raped her while he was a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At the time of the incident, Rose Potter would have been just twelve years of age. No charges have been laid to corroborate the account, but the mysterious resignation of Mr. Lockhart during the Christmas holidays of that particular school year help us to fill in the details. The question remains, if this allegation is indeed true, why were no charges laid against the former professor? When approached for questioning, Mr. Lockhart refused to confirm the allegations stating that, "Rose Potter was always very attention seeking." However, the anonymous source stated that the girl was quite overcome with emotion during her account to Mr. Draco Malfoy. The public urges Miss Potter to come forward with her story. Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge is quoted saying, "If something happened in between Mr. Lockhart and Rose Potter the ministry wants to know. Potter can be assured that he will be tried to the full extent of wizarding law."   
-Rita Skeeter.   
Rose was silent for a long time. Everybody was. Nobody so much as twitched in their seats. When she did speak, it was brief. "Severus." She whispered. His head snapped up and towards her. Rosie stood up and walked mechanically back towards the stairs and up towards her bedroom. She could feel the potions master`s presence behind her. Sitting down on the bed, Severus mimicked her, and gave her a serious appraisal.  
"Child…" He began, but she interrupted him, cutting him off and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. The man tensed and then softened, patting her back as she buried her face in his neck. Rose did not cry. "Thank you so much, Severus. Thank you for keeping this secret for me for so long. Thank you for helping me when I reached out to you. Thank you for being the only person in the whole damn world to take responsibility for me when I really needed you."  
"Rose. You do not have to act. You can let this die."  
"No. I want to. I`m ready. Things are getting out of hand, I can feel it."  
"Are you sure? There is no turning back."  
Rosie lifted her gaze to his. "I can`t live like this anymore." She choked. "Look at what I did to myself last night just because I ran into him."  
He nodded, expression solemn.  
"Just please don`t leave me." Rosie begged. Her heart rate rising.  
"I will be here every step of the way." Severus confirmed.


	52. Chapter 52

Remus Lupin was extremely worried. While initially, Rosie had taken the news of the prophet article with an eerie calmness, that pretense had faded. The girl was absolutely beside herself with anxiety. She hadn`t wanted to go with Albus to the ministry to make a formal complaint. Instead, Remus had gone in her place, acting for the first time legally as her guardian. The headmaster had been required to surrender the memories that Snape had collected from Lockhart. The next day, a media frenzy ensued. Rosie began reading the paper obsessively. Sirius was charged with keeping her happy. He had been pulling out all the stops, pulling pranks, telling jokes, and generally acting like nothing was wrong. If Remus thought that Rosie was anxious, the girl had nothing on Severus Snape. The werewolf had never seen the man so agitated. He had been brewing calming draughts for Rose and had been bringing them to her every day. Rosie had taken to waiting for her favorite death eater by the fire around the time she knew he would come. They always disappeared for a while into the bedroom. Usually, the girl came out wiping tears from her eyes.  
Remus was pretty sure that it was Rose`s intention to cut all her friends out of her life. He assumed it was because she felt so ashamed. He was glad that it was summer. She would at least have some time to process before going back to school. It was Ginny Weasley who contacted them first. Remus did not want to go behind his goddaughter`s back, but he had begun to worry that she would be worse off without support from anyone her own age. When the girl had arrived, she was completely calm. Remus remembered Rosie asking whether Ginny had reacted to the dementors as she had and wondered if maybe the girl had her own trauma to work through. Not much later, he had gone upstairs to check and make sure that Rose was ok and found the two girls curled up next to each other, Rosie`s fist curled in Ginny`s sweatshirt. Remus couldn`t tell if they were sleeping or if the Weasley girl was just sitting as a silent support. Either way, he was pleased. The worst had been Cedric Diggory. Rose did not know that he had come by because she had been asleep, and Remus would not let him in. The boy had shown up with his head hung and his face stricken four days after the first prophet announcement had been made. It had been Sirius who had answered the door.  
Remus heard his friend`s voice rise in pitch as he questioned Cedric.  
"What do you want?" He started.  
Remus came to stand behind Sirius, placing a hand on the man`s shoulder.  
"I was hoping to see Rose." Cedric tried lamely.  
"Absolutely not." Sirius replied, crossing his arms. Remus turned to the boy. "Listen, Mr. Diggory… now is not a good time. I appreciate that you might feel badly about what happened, but we cannot in good conscience risk you hurting Rosie with what you might say to her."  
"I just want to apologize." He frowned. "I shouldn`t have treated her like that… I was just so confused and frustrated. I should never have left her."  
Sirius growled. "No, you bloody well shouldn`t have. Do you have any idea how alarming it was to have the Malfoy kid floo her home balling her eyes out?"  
"I know, I`m sorry, really. I just got so angry. I didn`t understand why she was drinking so much. Now I do…"  
"Then you suck it up Diggory. You be angry, you sulk, you do whatever you bloody well want to do, but you be a man and get her the fuck home like you said you would. Anything could have happened to her." Sirius was still raging.  
"Sirius." The werewolf started.  
"He needs to hear it Moony."  
Cedric lifted his eyes to meet Remus`. "It`s fine. He`s right. I was a huge prick. I still want to be with her though. I…I love her."  
Padfoot scoffed. Remus eyed the boy. "Listen Cedric. Just let this die down a bit ok? Come back in a week if you still want to, but I must ask that if you do continue with Rosie, that you start to act your age. Understood? She is quite a bit younger than you still, and when she is with you, it is your responsibility to make sure that she is safe."  
Cedric had agreed and gone from the premises when Sirius turned to him and snorted. "Like James my ass."  
Rosie had just finished going over with Severus the structure of the impending trial. It turned out that when Severus had said that he would be there for her every step of the way, he had not been entirely correct. Perhaps it had slipped his mind, but he had returned to talk with her the morning before Moony had gone to file her complaint. He explained that Dumbledore was worried, that if Severus was seen as being too personally involved in her wellbeing in such a public setting, it would damage his place in the death eater ranks in the event of Voldemort's return. Rosie hadn't quite understood what that meant at first. As it turns out, it meant that Severus could not attend the trial with her. That unfortunate fact had almost made Rosie change her mind about the whole thing. Going without Severus was not something that she had intended to do. The potions master had made her cry. He'd promised that he would see her before and immediately afterwards every single day that it was necessary, but Rose had still been reluctant. In the end, she`d agreed, but it took a lot of convincing from her guardian. Initially, Rosie had requested that Dumbledore take his place, but Severus had reminded her that because he himself was on the Wizengamot, it would be viewed as a conflict of interest. That left her with only one option, Moony. She had really hoped that there would never come a time when Moony would view any of Lockhart`s memories. Rosie had not mentioned anything to him about it yet, she was scared to, scared that asking Moony meant that Severus would begin to disappear from her life. The trial wouldn't begin until just after her birthday, so she had time. Severus had gotten up to leave, when Rosie heard the doorbell ring from downstairs and then the unmistakable growl of Sirius` irritation.  
"Not you again."  
Severus glared at her. "I can only guess who that might be."  
Rosie`s stomach churned. Remus called her from below. "Rosie you have a visitor!"  
Coming face to face with Cedric for the first time since she had slept with Malfoy was hard. The boy looked as though he almost lost his nerve when Severus came down the stairs trailing behind her and appraised him.  
"Mr. Diggory." He drawled.  
"Uh. Hello Professor Snape sir. Hullo Rose." Cedric greeted them, fidgeting.  
"Hi Cedric." Rosie eyed the boy nervously.  
"I was hoping maybe I could speak with you… um, alone?" He asked then, glancing around at her three pseudo body guards. Before Rose could answer, Severus interjected. "I trust that there will be no need for supervision. Should I be proved incorrect… perhaps in the future I will not be so lenient." The potions master allowed.  
"O…of course, Sir." Cedric stuttered.  
Then, Severus did something very out of character. He gave Rosie a look, said, "I shall be going then," and leaned in to give her a one-armed hug. She wasn`t sure if the hug was passive aggressive, possessive, or both. Rose giggled in his ear as he leant down. "Prat." His actions did make her relax a little bit though.  
When Rosie was finally left alone with Cedric, the boy just stared at her. He opened and closed his mouth several times, probably trying to find the words.  
"Rose… Professor Lockhart?" He winced.  
Rosie flinched and looked down.  
"I am so sorry Rose…I had no idea. If I had known… Merlin, I`m so sorry I left you. Please forgive me. I can`t believe… he used memory charms on you?"  
She nodded but did not speak.  
"When you said that Professor Snape took care of you when you were sick in your second year… that was…this?"  
Rosie didn`t want to do this, but she figured that she`d better get used to it if she was going to go through with this trial. "I started to notice that something was wrong, and I went to Severus. He was able to help me piece things together. I stayed with him over the holidays that year."  
"I don't know what to say Rose…that is absolutely awful."  
Rosie just shrugged. "I don`t really want to talk about it more than I already have to."  
"Ok, erm, we don`t have to." The boy agreed. "I just… Rose I want you to know that I won't leave again, if you'll have me back."  
"Of course, Ced… I shouldn`t have tried to stay that night. I should have left. Drinking like that, it only made things worse."  
"No, Rose, I get why you did it. Merlin, I probably would`ve too. I just really didn`t want to have sex with you like that. I didn't want to take advantage of you."  
Her stomach clenched. If only he knew.  
Rosie couldn't resist the pretty boy pleading expression that he shot her, and she ended up allowing him to approach her, cradling her arms in his hands. Guilt curled around her intestines. Cedric pressed his forehead into hers.  
"Ced, I don't know if you`re going to want to be around for this whole trial thing… So far it`s been pretty tame, but Severus is worried that it will turn ugly."  
The boy caught her chin in his hand and turned her face towards him. "Hey, I just said I wasn`t leaving again." He reassured. Rosie wanted to look away. Cedric was no legilimens, but Malfoy`s face swirled around in her mind tauntingly. She knew that she should tell him… but he was smiling, and his hands felt so damn nice wrapped around her. Rose drank in his scent… sweet cologne and herbs. The pair stayed that way for a long time, intimately intertwined but totally clothed. This is what Rosie wanted. She wanted to feel safe and loved. Malfoy had just been a mistake. It would never happen again. Rose could do this. She could be in the relationship still and just forget that it ever happened. Cedric did not push her to have sex with him that day. Instead, they had laid down together on the bed and talked. He had held her, stroked her hair, and she had begun to feel like maybe things could still be normal in her life despite the trial.  
Moony had been lingering around downstairs waiting for Cedric to leave. She knew that her guardian was still sore about what had happened, but Moony never went against what Rosie wanted. Sirius had just been quiet. Rosie appreciated the effort that the man had been making since their last fight. He had been more fun, and he was hell bent on making her laugh as many times a day as he could manage. She wasn't sure where Sirius had gone off to, but when Rose came downstairs to show Cedric out, her guardian was waiting patiently on the sofa.  
"Did things go alright Sweetie?" He asked her, his tone was apprehensive. Rosie moved to sit with him. "Yeah. They did. I just… I know you're cross with him, but I shouldn't have done what I did either."  
Moony sighed. "Oh honey." He took her hand in his. "You are free to make your own decisions as far as it concerns me. I just worry, you know that."  
"I know Moony. Thank you." Her stomach filled with butterflies as Rosie realized that this would be a good time to talk to him… while they were alone. "Erm, Moony, can I ask you for something? Like a really big favor. You can say no, I won't be upset." She started nervously.  
Moony's brows knitted together with worry. "Of course, you can love. You can ask me for anything."  
"I know, but this is erm… a bit different. I just…need your help." Much to Rose's chagrin, her eyes began to water, and her bottom lip quivered. "Rosie, what's wrong sweetheart? What do you need? Did you forget the contraceptive charm again?"  
"N…no, we didn't…" She started. "It's got to do with the trial."  
The werewolf's eyes widened slightly. "I'm listening." He soothed.  
"Dumbledore says that Severus can't go with me." She hiccoughed, "He says it might be dangerous in the long run."  
"Oh honey, I'm so sorry. Come here." Moony said, outstretching his arms to her. "I know how much Severus has been there for you through all of this. I'm sure he feels pretty rotten that he can't be there now."  
"He does and he wants me to do it anyways, but I'm so scared. I don't want to go alone." She stared at him expectantly.  
"Are you asking me to…?"  
Rosie nodded, squeezing her eyes shut. "I never wanted you to see what happened to me." She started. "You don't have to go, it will be really horrible. You'll have to watch… and listen to me say all the things he did." Rose was hiding her face now.  
"Rose. I don't know what to say. I am honored that you feel safe enough to allow me to accompany you. Of course, I'll go."  
"Are you sure Moony? You don't have to do anything else, just be there. Severus is still gonna go through all the things I have to say and help me practice. I still can't really talk about it."  
"I'm sure Rosie. You know that I'd do anything for you."  
She sighed in relief, her face still buried in his neck. "You're the best."  
After their talk, Moony busied himself making dinner. He was a great cook. Rosie would've stayed to keep him company, but she had decided to speak with Sirius, hoping that he might be able to help her. She knocked on the door to his room and the man called for her to come in.  
"Heya Rosie, is everything alright?" He asked, probably curious as to why she'd decided to visit him.  
"Yeah everything is fine." She nodded.  
"Did you make up with the Diggory kid?"  
Rosie nodded again. "I actually… wanted to ask your advice."  
Sirius' face flitted with surprise. "You did?"  
She smirked a little. "Erm, yeah… I kind of thought you might have a bit more experience in this particular area."  
"Alrighty, go ahead." He raised an eyebrow.  
"Do I tell Cedric about what I did with Malfoy?" Rosie asked quickly.  
"Hey! You think I have experience cheating on people?" Sirius complained.  
"I mean… Moony is basically a saint so I can't ask him, and Severus, well I'm pretty sure he's still in love with my mother from when they were kids…"  
"And what about me then?" He coughed.  
"Tell me with a straight face that you've never done it." She dared him.  
"Alright alright, fine. The first thing you need to do is make sure that Malfoy is not going to say anything, because if you think that he will talk, it will eventually get out anyways and you'll just hurt Diggory more."  
"No, Malfoy wouldn't. He would be too embarrassed to admit it. Plus, he's been dating Pansy Parkinson for like a year now and she's a psycho, so he wouldn't dare."  
"Wait, he's with someone too?"  
"Yup." Rosie flushed.  
Sirius shook his head and smirked. "No, don't tell him. I'm assuming you regret it and won't be doing it again?"  
"Very much so." She cringed and looked away. "I just feel so guilty."  
"Naw Rosie, you're young, you're allowed to make mistakes like that. It'll all be fine. Just try and forget about it." He reassured her.  
"You must think I'm some horrible tart." Rosie sighed.  
"Hey now, when did I ever say that?"  
She just sighed again and shook her head. Sirius eyed her from where he sat on the bed. The man sat up a bit straighter and transformed into a dog, cocking his head to the side. Padfoot as she learned he was called, jumped forward and licked her face.  
"Gross Siri." She whined.  
The dog proceeded to tug her out of the room and down into the sitting room, picking up the toy that Moony had brought home for him, and nudging it toward Rosie. She giggled. He knew that she liked playing fetch with Padfoot.


	53. Chapter 53

Turning fourteen didn't feel like a very big deal to Rosie. In fact, she tried to avoid thinking about her age on a regular basis. Age was never a joyful topic of discussion when it was centered around her. Rose was tired of hearing phrases like, "He tried to kill a one year old," "You were only twelve," "He's three years older than you." Now that she was fourteen, she knew that nothing would change. Cedric would be turning seventeen the week after her birthday, which meant that he remained three years older. The fact that she was now going to be fourteen didn't change the fact that she had been brutally violated when she was twelve, or that she was to go to trial the next week. Voldemort trying to kill her as a baby remained a prominent issue as they all sat perched like sitting ducks waiting for the return. Age didn't change a thing, so Rosie was surprised when she awoke the morning of her birthday feeling so much joy. Moony had woken her up at eight in the morning with such a wide grin that she thought he might hurt himself.  
"Good morning Princess." He greeted her, sitting down on the edge of the bed.  
"Morning Moony." Rosie reached out to give him a hug, her eyelids still heavy. When Moony had successfully trapped her in his arms, he whispered, "I know that I`ve missed a lot of birthdays, but I want you to know that I'll be here for all the rest of them."  
"Aw Moony, don't worry about it. I know you will." She sighed into him. Sometimes Rosie fantasized about leaving her life behind to live a peacefully in solitude with Moony, drinking tea and eating porridge. It was then that Sirius entered the room, a cupcake in hand with a single candle resting on top.  
"Happy Birthday Rosie!" They both chimed and Sirius leaned in to give her a hug as well. That afternoon, Moony had done exactly what he had said he would and had invited Cedric, Severus, and Ginny over to have dinner. Rosie hadn't really wanted to do that, but Moony seemed pleased so she had decided not to say anything. However, Rose couldn't see a way in which the dinner wouldn't end badly. The best-case scenario was that it would be awkward, and the worst case would be extreme humiliation and/or the need for serious damage control. Severus and Sirius in the same room was never a good idea, not to mention throwing Cedric into the mix.  
Rosie didn't dress up for the dinner. She didn't think it warranted uncomfortable clothing. Instead, she left her hair long and put on a button-down plaid jumper with tights. Moony had made ham and potatoes with various other side dishes, and Sirius had planned something for dessert. Cedric had been the first to arrive, greeting her with an enthusiastic kiss and placing a small box next to the wrapped presents that her guardian and Sirius had laid out. Next was Ginny, who gave her a long embrace and did the same. When Severus arrived, everybody looked up. Rosie moved forward to wrap the man in a tight hug, which he awkwardly returned. "Thanks for coming Severus." She whispered.  
"Naturally." He drawled, eyes scanning the room. Rosie knew that this was uncomfortable for him. Severus hated socializing, especially with his childhood rivals and Rose's boyfriend.  
"Hi Professor Snape!" Ginny called from the kitchen where she and Cedric stood.  
"Miss Weasley." He nodded curtly. "Mr. Diggory…" Her guardian's tone lingering over Cedric's name. If she'd thought that Moony was sore over the incident at the Longbottom Manor, Severus was still positively furious, but Rosie had pleaded with him to behave.  
"Erm, Hello Professor Snape sir." The boy stuttered.  
Moony, who was a godsend as usual, announced that dinner was ready and he and Sirius, who had not said a word since Severus arrived, had begun to set the table. Rosie took the spot next to Severus and Cedric sat on the other side of her. She knew that nobody else wanted to sit next to the dour potion's professor, and Cedric was too nervous to sit with either Moony or Sirius. Ginny was happy to be anywhere, so she at across from them next to Moony.  
The silence was palpable. The only sounds were the gentle clinks of forks and knives touching. Ginny was squirming anxiously. Rose knew that she didn't like the silence. Sirius cleared his throat.  
"So, Rosie, did you hear that they're gonna have Veela as cheerleaders at the world cup this year? Sounds kind of dangerous to me."  
Rosie's brows furrowed. Before Rosie could ask what that meant, Severus interjected. "Of course, you would focus on that Black."  
"What's a Veela?" She questioned.  
Sirius glared at Severus and then coughed. "They are… extremely attractive women who turn into these nasty bird things."  
"Oh, why are they dangerous?"  
Moony laughed from his spot at the table. "Because they hypnotize men Rosie. Any man who is attracted to women in general becomes prey. Padfoot is saying that it might be dangerous because the stands are so high up, the men might try to jump."  
Rosie's eyes widened.  
"Of course, you would be familiar with Veela, Lupin… I believe they too are classified as dark creatures." Severus spoke from beside her.  
"Severus!" Rose admonished, swatting his arm lightly.  
Cedric shot her a look. He didn't know about Moony's condition. She just shook her head.  
"It's actually pretty hilarious to watch Rosie. The guys, they get these glazed expressions over their faces…" Ginny giggled. "I for one am bringing a blindfold for Dean!"  
"Oh! You're going with Dean?" Rose squealed.  
"Yes! Well, my family`s going too, but he invited me to sit with him."  
She grinned broadly and then turned to Cedric. "Now, don't forget to pack your blindfold Ced. I am not going to stop you if you try to jump out of your seat to go ogling after another woman." Rosie teased lightly. The boy blushed.  
Sirius coughed again, his body shaking with silent laughter. Moony's eyes were alight with mirth. Cedric must have decided in that moment to try and relax because he smiled and turned to Moony. "What was it that you were saying the other day about Professor Snape being right about me? Who was it that I remind you of?"  
Rosie tensed and her hands gripped the table. Severus turned to stare at her questioningly, and her face reddened. "Ced. You did not just ask that right now." She gasped, embarrassed. Moony was now positively quaking in amusement. He wiped a tear from his eyes and turned to Severus.  
"Mr. Diggory is referring to dear Rosie's Oedipus Complex."  
Cedric spat out his pumpkin juice. "I'm sorry?"  
Severus looked as though he was fighting his own laughter, not wanting to be caught enjoying himself in the presence of marauders.  
Ginny interrupted the discussion. "What is an Oedipus complex?"  
Rosie glowered at her friend. "Gin! Seriously?"  
Severus cleared his throat. "An Oedipus Complex Miss Weasley is a psychodynamic theory in human psychology, which states that young girls are unconsciously attracted to their fathers and are subsequently jealous of their mothers. However, nowadays, it has become more commonly known as an attraction to men similar to one's father." He explained, converting momentarily into Professor Snape.  
Rosie groaned, dropping her head so that it hit against the table with a resounding thud. Cedric made a soft little noise of discomfort. "Erm. You think I'm like… Mr. Potter, Professor Snape sir?"  
"Astoundingly." He replied at the same time that Sirius interjected, "He's not that much like James."  
Rose rubbed her temples. "Considering I have never held a single conversation with James Potter I don't see how I would have chosen to date Cedric for those reasons."  
"That's why it's unconscious my love." Moony winked.  
"Oh my god, enough. Please. You are all awful. It's my birthday!"  
Sirius, who also seemed to find the topic displeasing, scratched his head and then turned to Rosie. "You know, on this day, fourteen years ago, your mother was so angry. She'd gone into labor, but it was taking forever, and St. Mungos refused to admit her until she was closer to delivering. She was in so much pain all day, and James tried everything, but the only thing that made her smile was talking about you."  
That made Rosie smile too. "Did they know I would be a girl?"  
"No." Moony replied. "Lily wanted a boy. She had the nursery decked out in blue for months. Harry James Potter, I still remember how sure she was. Your dad though, he wanted a girl with red hair like your mom`s."  
"Aw shit, well I guess I was a big disappointment then for everyone." She chuckled.  
"No, because the moment that they saw you they were in love. James suggested they call you Harriet." Moony continued.  
"I vetoed that one. I said that you`d never find a boyfriend with a name like Harriet. That made James even more keen, but Lily wouldn`t have it." Sirius chimed in.  
"Harriet? That is horrendous." She cringed. "Why did they choose Rose?"  
Sirius glanced at Moony, who shot him back a look of confusion. "You know, we never asked." The werewolf replied. "I kind of figured that it was just a tradition, flower names for girls." Sirius offered. Just then, much to everyone`s surprise, Severus spoke.  
"Rose, was your grandmother`s name."  
Her eyes widened and she smiled. Rosie wanted to ask the man more questions about her grandparents, but she knew that he would not want to answer them in front of everyone. She resolved to wait until later.  
Ginny, who was not aware of the obvious tension that would ensue asked another question. "What was Mrs.… um, Lily Potter like? Was she like Rose?"  
Rosie cringed as she felt Severus tense beside her. Moony smiled gently and responded, "She was very much like Rose. Uncommonly kind. She was maybe a bit softer around the edges than our Rosie, but definitely quite similar."  
Trying to make Severus laugh, Rosie nudged him and said, "I think that`s Moony trying to say politely that she was much nicer than me."  
He raised an eyebrow. "Indeed… you are known to partake in certain activities that might constitute you as… How did Lupin put it? Rough around the edges."  
Cedric shifted uncomfortably to her right. By this time, everyone had finished eating dinner, and Rosie began to clear away the plates. That was Sirius' cue. He disappeared into the other room and came out holding a large pink cake with fourteen candles shimmering brightly in the dim light. A huge grin was plastered on his face. The cake read,  
Happy Birthday Rosie  
"Aw Siri, did you go out and buy this? You shouldn't have." She gushed, pulling the man into a brief but affectionate hug as soon as he placed the cake on the table. He returned the hug and beamed down at her. "Make a wish Rose."  
Rosie closed her eyes, trying to think of something to wish for. It came to her with sickening clarity in that moment. The only thing that she wished for was for the trial to go well, and for Lockhart to be punished for hurting her. That is what she thought of as she blew out the candles. Rose didn't think that birthday wishes were supposed to be that morbid.  
After cake, it was time for presents. Ginny came forward first, holding out a party bag stuffed with tissue paper. Rosie opened it to find a little golden snitch tucked inside of a small black box. "It`s for practice." She smiled. Rosie giggled with excitement as she took the snitch out of its box and it sprang to life. Tossing it up in the air, the delicate wings beat rapidly, and it tried to fly away. She reached up and caught the little ball deftly in her right hand. Sirius was staring at her, his eyes wide and his expression, almost… longing. It was the same expression that he`d had when she'd first met him in the shrieking shack.  
"Your dad used to play with one of those." He whispered softly. Now Rosie understood. This was Sirius` dead parents face. She knew Moony's and Severus', but she'd never paid much attention to Siri's. It was the face that he made when he forgot that she was Rosie and not James. They all did it.  
"Thanks Ginny, this is brilliant." She beamed, trying to ignore Sirius, and leaned into to hug her friend. Cedric put his hand on her back and blushed as she turned to look at him holding out a thin velvet box. Inside was a pretty silver charm bracelet. It had only two charms on it, a little ruby encrusted lion, and a yellow topaz jeweled badger. It was Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. "Oh Cedric. This is so lovely." She gasped allowing him to clasp it onto her wrist. Once again, the familiar sensation of guilt began to creep through her body, trailing up her spine and making her shudder. He was so bloody nice, and she was terrible. Rosie tried to squash the bad feeling down and swept him up into a not-so-appropriate kiss, allowing her hands to come down, curling around his torso.  
Severus cleared his throat and Cedric pulled back. "Me next Rose!" Siri called from the other side of the room. She hadn't even realized that he'd gone and come back. In his hands was a long, thin package. The shape was unmistakable. "You didn't." She started, her face frozen in shock. The man grinned at her. Opening the package quickly, Rosie realized that he had in fact done it. He had bought her the firebolt. It was the newest and fastest broom invented. It had come out around the time that he'd escaped Azkaban. Rose squealed with excitement and threw herself at him. The ex-con picked her up and twirled her around. "Thank you, Siri." She sighed genuinely.  
"Anything for you Little Prongs." He replied. Rosie noted the new nickname in her mind. He`d never called her that before. When she turned around again, Severus was glaring as usual. Rosie winked at him. His glare deepened. Cedric was watching them with his eyebrow raised.  
Moony shuffled towards her, glancing sideways towards the firebolt, and then holding out a package for her to take. She assumed this was his gift to her. Rosie smiled and took the gift from her guardian, but when she tore the wrapping paper away, she was left speechless. Her eyes stung with emotion and her breath caught. Moony had given her a photo album full to the brim with picture of her parents. He must have been collecting them for months. Opening the album to the first page, Rosie let out a pained little cry as she came face to face with her eleven-year-old mother, smiling brightly next to another Gryffindor girl. Below that photo was one of her father and Sirius around the same age. The album seemed to move in chronological order as her parents aged. There was even a picture of a tiny little Severus, smiling of all things, next to her mom. They looked to be around thirteen.  
"Oh Moony." Rosie breathed, a single tear trailing down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away and held the book to her chest. Rosie suddenly felt very vulnerable. Fighting tears, she spun around looking for a way out, to get away from all of the eyes watching her grieve.  
Moony's face flashed with alarm. "Honey, I`m sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."  
"N…no, it's wonderful Moony, I just, erm, I think I will look later if it's alright with you." Rosie stuttered, trying to mask the emotion. Sirius grimaced and set an arm around her heavily. "Now, let's see what Ol'Snapey there got you Rose." He said, changing the subject and picking up the neat black box that remained on the table. Severus was staring at her pointedly. It would be unnoticeable to anyone else, but she knew this his face was etched in concern for her. Rose flashed him a small smile, trying to communicate her stability. Touching her locket softly, she moved to pry the box open. Much to Rosie's surprise, out popped a red teddy bear. It had the Gryffindor emblem sewn on the chest. She was puzzled at first but knew that Severus would not give her a teddy bear for no reason. Turning the bear over gently in her hands, Rose noticed a flower embroidered on the bottom of the right foot… it was a lily. Going on instinct, she took the plush foot in her hand and gave it a squeeze.  
"Rose Potter. She's the most amazing gift I've ever been given." Lily Potter's voice chimed.  
Rosie clamped her hand over her mouth to muffle the whimper that left her lips. The bear fell to the floor and she moved away. Turning around and scuttling into the next room, the tears beginning to flow liberally. It wasn't that Rose didn't love and appreciate the gifts, and the time it must have taken to create them, she just, wasn't in the right state of mind at that moment to handle the grief that would inevitably follow. Expecting Severus or Moony, she was surprised to find that it had been Cedric who`d decided to come after her.  
"Rose. Come here." He motioned, pulling her into his arms. She pressed her face into his chest, tears wetting the boy's shirt.  
"I understand Rose. I do. I grew up with the same thing after my mother... Everyone wants to give you things that remind you of your parents… they want you to feel the same way that they did about them, but it's hard. Especially when you never knew them." Cedric explained.  
"I just… I love the gifts, they are so special, and I'll treasure them forever, but right now with the trial getting closer and… my birthday was never really a very nice day for me, I don't think I was prepared."  
"When my mother died, I was only four years old, and my dad, he didn't talk about her for a long time. When he finally did start to tell me about her and show me pictures, it was so overwhelming that I almost didn't want to see."  
"I never realize how much I missed them until I knew more about them." Rosie admitted weakly. "My relatives never… well they never did anything. I'd never even seen pictures before Hogwarts. I guess I am just learning more and more of what I missed out on."  
"I know Rose, but the thing is, as weird as it feels, the people that knew our parents only do it out of love." He tried to reassure her. "Listen, Professor Snape looked like he was about to hit something when you left, and Professor Lupin was just staring at the floor. You should go back in there."  
"What do I say to them?" She whispered.  
"You'll just have to fake it. Put your Gryffindor bravery to good use, put on a smile, and go and give out some of your heart stopping hugs. Got it? Explain that you were just overcome, but that you love the gifts."  
Rosie sighed and shot Cedric a watery smile, letting him wipe the tears from her cheeks and kiss her forehead softly. That was exactly what she would do.


	54. Chapter 54

The morning of the trial, day one, was probably the second most disturbing morning of Rosie's life, only overshadowed by the morning that she viewed Lockhart's memories for the first time. Moony had come into her room at six in the morning to tell her that it was time to start getting ready. Rosie didn't realize the preparation that she was expected to go through. Severus arrived shortly after and took over. He opened her closet and looked through her clothes, muttering softly to himself.  
"Severus? What are you doing?"  
"Choosing your outfit."  
Rosie was confused, until her guardian pulled out a conservative floral blue dress and a pair of flat shoes. The dress was from a couple of years ago, and he had to modify it so that it would be long enough to fit. "Why do I have to wear that?" She questioned.  
"You need to look as young as possible." He responded firmly. What Severus did next made Rose flush with embarrassment. "Put this on." The man commanded, holding out a sports bra that was slightly too small for her. It was obvious that the intention was to make her breasts appear lesser. Rosie cringed. She did what the man said and quickly began to change as Severus practiced asking and answering questions with her.  
Much to Rosie's chagrin, Sirius had walked into the room whilst she was still in her knickers. His face had changed from calm to horrified in a second.  
"Remus! Snape is in here with Rose while she's changing!" He called down the stairs, his voice tense.  
Severus snarled, but Moony yelled back. "Sirius come help me with breakfast!"  
"But Moony…" He countered.  
Rosie was irritated now. "Yes Sirius. Severus waited till the day of my rape trial to accost me in my bedroom. That is exactly what this is." She growled  
"Rosie… it's inappropriate." He whined. She tugged the dress over her head and sighed loudly. "No. What's inappropriate is that my defense professor had sex with me when I was twelve. Now, stop being like that and come do my hair." She demanded. Severus chose to ignore Rosie's vulgar commentary and moved onto the next question. She allowed Sirius to charm her hair into twin braids as the potions master spoke.  
"And how did you come to meet Mr. Lockhart?" Severus drawled.  
"He was my professor in my second year at Hogwarts." Rosie responded promptly.  
"Good. Now should you be asked any personal questions about your previous sexual history; how should you respond?"  
"That I had none."  
"And should they inquire into your current sexual activity?"  
"I should tell them that it is confidential and that I maintain the right to discretion where it does not pertain directly to the trial."  
"Excellent."  
Sirius interjected. "Why would they ask that?"  
Severus sneered at him. "It is a tactic commonly used in this particular type of trial to attempt to discredit the victim."  
"That isn't fair! What Rosie does now shouldn`t matter." Sirius moaned.  
"Touching…Black. However, seeing as though you are not on the Wizengamot, your opinion on the subject is not relevant."  
Severus continued to ask questions until Sirius had finished doing her hair and had gone downstairs to help with breakfast. When her guardian was sure that his enemy had left, he came to stand in front of where Rosie sat on the bed and knelt down.  
"Rose Lily Potter. You will be absolutely fine today. It is of no matter that I will not be in attendance because I am not the one who suffered as you did. Only you can tell the story, and only you are allowed an opinion on it. Do you understand?"  
"Sir?"  
"If there is ever a time today that you feel incapable of continuing, or unable to answer a question, you stop. You have every right to be respected and to not allow questions that you do not feel comfortable answering."  
"What if they make me?" She whispered.  
"Nobody can make you do anything child. You are not the criminal. Remember that. If you are afraid, I have spoken with Lupin, all you must do is ask and he will escort you from the premises. In the end, your wellness is my only concern."  
"Will you be waiting for me… afterwards?"  
"Indeed. Your wolf will be flooing you to my residence directly from the ministry."  
"I'm scared Severus." Rosie's voice was shaky. "I haven't even left the house since the first article… I don't want to face everyone."  
"You have nothing to fear. You are completely innocent. Those who would view you differently for this would not last a moment in your shoes."  
Rosie shut her eyes and nodded, drawing strength from the potions master, who was at least acting, entirely calm. Severus left after that, and Rose forced a bit of breakfast down her throat, but she was too nervous to really eat. When it was time to go, Moony gave her a meaningful stare and motioned towards the fireplace. Sirius helped her up and then wrapped her in a bear hug, whispering in her ear, "Kill it Rosie. Give the bastard what he deserves." With one last deep breath and a gentle shoulder squeeze from Moony, the pair stepped into the fire, and Rosie stepped into battle.  
From the moment that they landed in the ministry atrium, Rose clung onto Moony like a leech. There were people waiting for her, reporters, and her guardian wrapped his cloak around her small frame as they moved dangerously forward, cameras and microphone ready and waiting. Rosie whimpered. "Relax my love, we're almost through." Moony soothed, his hand on her back. A woman walked out of one of the round offices to meet them, eying Rose curiously and sticking out her hand to shake.  
"Hello Rose. My name is Amelia Bones. I'm the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement here at the Ministry. I will be walking you through our procedure for today's trial." The woman began. Rosie shook her hand tentatively, and then Moony, standing up straight, stuck out his hand to shake with Mrs. Bones.  
"Remus Lupin. I am Rose's guardian." He introduced. The man was still curled around her protectively.  
Amelia Bones brought them into the empty court room and showed Rosie where she would sit, where she would get up and walk to, and explained the order in which the events would take place. That day was solely reserved for evidence, examination, and cross examination. The following day would be the revealing of the verdict. When it came time for them to exit the room so that the members of the Wizengamot could enter, Rosie was practically hidden beneath Moony's cloak, pressed into his side and on the verge of panic. They were escorted into an empty waiting room and the werewolf brought her into view.  
"Rose." Moony tried as she began to tremble. The desks and chair in the waiting room shook. She ignored him. The pressure in her chest was building, but Moony was not having it. He moved to stand in front of her, taking her chin in his hand and turning her head to meet him.  
"Rosie Potter, you are here for a reason. Get in there, get through it, and get it done. I have never known you to run away in fear. My girl who defied Voldemort as a baby, again at eleven years old, lunged forward and pushed a mass murderer to the ground, and looked a fully transformed werewolf in the eyes. You are my brave; strong Gryffindor goddaughter and we are all here for you."  
Moony helped her to take some breaths, and before Rosie had time to have a fully-fledged outburst, Mrs. Bones came back into the waiting room.  
"We are ready to begin Mr. Lupin." The woman said softly, eying Rose.  
Taking one last deep breath, she clutched onto her guardian's arm, held her head up high, and marched forward. The room was, less full than Rosie was expecting. Perhaps Severus had exaggerated the amount of people in attendance. Almost everyone was a man. Her eyes found Dumbledore easily and he smiled at her, but his face was somber. Moony lead her over to the seats which they would occupy until it was time for Rosie to take the stand. The trial began with introductions. The members of the Wizengamot stood individually to be named, and then Rosie had to stand when her name was called in representation of the prosecution. Even though she knew that Lockhart would be present at the trial, Rose was not prepared for the full effect that it would have on her to see the man, her ex-professor, marched into the room in chains. Her breath hitched and her grip on Moony's arm tightened. The werewolf leaned down and pressed his lips to the top of her head briefly in support, but his amber eyes were trained on Lockhart.  
Next, the man who seemed to be in control of the narration of the trial announced that the charges were to be read.  
"Gilderoy Lockhart. You are hear today to receive judgement based on the following accusations. You will be tried for multiple counts of statutory rape and molestation in the first degree, the intent to commit lewd acts with a minor, the improper and unlawful use of memory charms, the improper and unlawful use of magic to manipulate a minor, and the breech of your Hogwarts teaching contract."  
Lockhart was looking down at the floor. Rosie sucked in another deep breath. "I would like to call forward the alleged victim, Miss Rose Lily Potter, daughter of Lily and James Potter to testify on her own behalf."  
At the sound of her name, Rose felt Moony nudge her to stand. He allowed her to lean on him as she did so, but once she was standing, she was all alone. Walking bravely forward, Rosie bypassed Lockhart, and moved to sit at the bench in front of the crowded room.  
"Good morning Miss Potter." The questioner greeted tonelessly.  
"Good morning Sir." She replied, trying to pull strength from her body and project it into her voice.  
"Are the aforementioned charges consistent with your supposed encounters with Mr. Lockhart?"  
"Yes sir."  
The room was completely silent. Rosie looked forward, trapping Moony's gaze. He nodded at her encouragingly.  
"Please tell this court at what age and in what context you became acquainted with Mr. Lockhart."  
"I met him when I was twelve years old, in my second year at Hogwarts in detention, and he was my defense professor."  
"Thank you. Now, please explain the reasoning as to why you received such an excessive amount of detention with Mr. Lockhart in particular."  
"My friend Ron and I flew a muggle car to Hogwarts that year instead of taking the train. I was given a long detention sentence for that with Professor Lockhart. The sentence was then lengthened when I was discovered at the scene of a suspicious incident at school."  
"Who assigned you the detentions?"  
"Professor McGonagall and then Professor Snape."  
"That is Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape, Correct?"  
"Yes."  
"Miss Potter, can you describe how your detentions differed from regular detentions?"  
"I'm sorry?" Rosie asked, confused. Regular detentions did not include a weekly dose of rape.  
"I apologize, I mean, how did you become suspicious of Mr. Lockhart?"  
"To be honest sir, I did not suspect anything. The detentions were strange, I didn't remember much from them, and they always felt very short, but I did not connect them with the physical symptoms I was experiencing."  
"What symptoms were those?"  
Rosie cringed and sighed. Moony made eye contact with her and smiled sympathetically. "Exhaustion. I was having unusual pain and discharge. There were unexplained bruises all over my body."  
"Alright. To whom did you disclose your symptoms?"  
"Professor Severus Snape."  
"What did Professor Snape do?"  
"He used legilimency to discover that my memories of detention with Professor Lockhart were false, and then he disclosed the information to Professor Dumbledore. I believe, after that, the memories were collected from Lockhart."  
"Thank you, Miss Potter. That concludes our series of questions. Now, if you would be so inclined to answer the questions set out by the defendant, we can move on."  
Rosie nodded slowly. This was the part that Severus had warned her about. She didn't understand why they might ask her unkind questions when Lockhart's memories clearly spoke for themselves. Why couldn't they just pull out a vial of veritaserum and be done with it?  
"Good morning Rose." An older man greeted her. He was short, probably about a head shorter than Sirius who wasn't very tall, and he was balding. Rose groaned internally. Of course, it would be this ugly old man asking her the worst questions. He had already skipped past formalities and called her by her first name.  
"Good morning." Rosie replied. As soon as she spoke this time, Lockhart looked up from the floor and stared her done. Her heart stopped, just for a moment, and she forgot to breath.  
"Rose. Did you hear me?" The man prodded. His expression was expectant. Truthfully, Rosie hadn't even heard him speak.  
"I'm sorry Sir, can you repeat the question?" She tried politely.  
"I inquired about your level of knowledge on the topic of sexual activity prior to your supposed viewing of my client's memories."  
"I had absolutely no idea what sex was or how it was done." Rosie stated firmly.  
"Is that so?" The man hummed. "So, no sexual partners prior to age twelve?"  
"No." She cringed, was he asking her if she'd been molested before? Rose didn't know anyone who started having sex before age twelve.  
"How about now?"  
"I'm sorry?"  
"Do you have any sexual partners now?"  
"I'm sorry sir, I do not believe that I am obligated to disclose personal information that doesn't pertain to the matter at hand. Is that correct?" Rosie turned to the trial narrator again.  
The other man appraised her carefully and then turned to Lockhart's representative. "Miss Potter is indeed correct, is there a reason for this line of questioning?"  
"The question is pertinent in the context of the severity of trauma suffered at the hands of my client."  
"I will allow it, but please do be sensitive to the nature of the question when addressing the alleged victim."  
Rosie raised her eyebrow. She was expected to answer the question now? Moony must have noted the confusion in her expression, because he quickly nodded his head and motioned towards Lockhart's representative.  
"The answer is yes." Rose said evenly. So far, she thought she was doing alright.  
"Yes, you have had sexual partners since the alleged trauma occurred?" The balding man questioned her.  
"Partner, singular." She replied.  
"Indeed." He breathed. "A boyfriend?"  
"Yes." This was getting irritating now.  
"Excellent. How nice that you've been able to look past a traumatic incident and engage in a normal teenage relationship." The representative smiled patronizingly at her.  
"Is that a question Sir?" Rosie asked, trying to channel Severus.  
"Should it be?"  
"I don't seem to recall being asked if I had any trouble engaging in said relationship." She countered.  
"Did you have a hard time with it Rose dear?"  
"Yes, in fact, it has been extremely difficult to navigate a relationship in the aftermath of what was done to me." Moony was trying to get her attention. He frowned and trailed his finger from his eye to the base of his cheek. Was he telling her to cry?  
"I bet it was my dear, but the important thing is, is that you got through it, and that you are alright. Is it not?" The ugly man smiled again.  
Rosie took a deep breath and pinched herself underneath the table as hard as she could. She could physically feel her face twist in pain. Holding the pressure firm and cutting into her skin with her nail, Rose allowed her eyes to sting and water, cheeks flushing.  
"Alright?!" She pretended to choke, allowing a tear to fall and quickly wiping it away. "I lost complete control of my magic because of him. I can't feel, or express emotions properly without exploding in magical residue." Rosie continued. She channeled the panic that she had felt before coming into the room and allowed it to take over momentarily. Her body tensed visibly and a glass of water on the desk in front of the narrator shattered. This seemed to be working perfectly. Several of the men startled and frowned at her sympathetically.  
"I'm so sorry sir!" Rosie whimpered. "I just can't help it!" She brought her hands up to cover her face. Rose was definitely going to hell. It wasn't like she didn't really feel this way, she just hadn't quite needed to express herself quite so boldly as she was doing in that moment.  
The man, Lockhart's representative seemed slightly shell shocked by her display. "No further questions." He said stoically, shaking his head. Lockhart's eyes widened. Was that fear behind his expression?  
The narrator, who now seemed quite out of sorts, turned back to Rose. "Miss Potter, I am so terribly sorry to force you to relive that incidence in question, but I must ask if you prefer the memory evidence to be view individually by each member of the Wizengamot, or together here in this room?"  
This was the part that Rosie was most nervous for. "It's alright Sir. We can watch in here." She hiccoughed.  
"Very well then my dear. Why don't you return and have a seat with your guardian?" He suggested, rising to help her down from the bench. She took the man's hand innocently and allowed him to guide her towards Moony. Her guardian took her into his arms fiercely and murmured into her ear, "Sweetheart that was brilliant." Rosie composed herself and winked at him, taking her original seat, and leaning her head against his shoulder. She refused to watch his face. The pensive was brought out and some sort of magical projection device was attached to it. By this time, she was trembling. Moony rubbed her arm absentmindedly, but his attention was on the activities taking place.  
The first memory began as Rosie remembered. She heard the echo of her voice saying, "Hi Professor Lockhart sir!" Before the memory had finished, she had her head buried in her guardian's shoulder. Rose did not need or want to see this again, she'd already seen it one thousand times over in her mind. The sounds were torment enough. It began with curious fear and turned quickly into screams. Her screams of pain. Moony was still as a stone beside her, but she was still hiding her face. A mixture of crying, choking, shrieking, and disturbing silence filled the room with every memory that passed. They had to be almost finished by now, she couldn't take this anymore. Rosie thought that she actually might prefer to be raped again than to continue with this twisted cinema experience. She regretted instantly allowing Moony to come along, forgetting over time just how horrific this would be to watch. Now he would really never look at her the same again. He wasn't hard and cold like Severus was, he was never a death eater. Severus had seen this stuff before, Moony would probably be scared off. After what felt like an entire lifetime, the memories ceased. Rosie, who was still hiding her face, waited for someone, anyone to speak. When the narrator did speak, she dared to lift her eyes, not wanting to miss a word.  
Every single pair of eyes in the room was on her, except for Dumbledore, who was staring at Lockhart, eyes devoid of twinkle. Rose avoided looking up at Moony beside her, favoring instead the front of the room.  
"I think that that is all the evidence that shall be required for today. The session will be adjourned and will resume for the verdict tomorrow at the same hour." The man hit a gavel against the bench and the members of the Wizengamot began to file out. Lockhart was levitated off the chair and moved, hands still bound toward the door. He was looking down once again. Moony hissed angrily from beside her. "The bastard has an erection." It didn't sound like he was talking to her.  
Sure enough, when Rosie looked again, she caught sight of the slight tenting of the man's pants. Her stomach curled. That man had been inside of her. Breathing long and low, she allowed a silent and stiff Moony to guide her back through the throngs of people in waiting. Her guardian wouldn't make eye contact with her, he kept his head facing the other direction and he hadn't said much at all since the last memory had faded from view. She felt completely rejected. When they reached the fireplace, he only spoke the name of Severus' flat, his hand gripping her shoulder, and his silence gripping her heart.  
Severus was waiting by the fire when they came through. He stood as they entered. Rosie shot him a pitiful look, and Moony excused himself quietly. The werewolf didn't even look at her as he left.  
Severus opened his mouth to speak, but Rose beat him to it. "Moony doesn't love me anymore." She cried, falling into him. "He doesn't want me, he thinks it's disgusting." Her first guardian just held her, his strong arms her safety net. His scent familiar and comforting. This man, he was her dad, even if the idea would make him cringe, even if he would deny it on his death bed. Severus Snape was the closest that Rosie was ever going to get to a father, and he was a damn good one. He always knew what she needed even before she did. Severus led her out of his house without a word, but his silence was reassuring. She knew that he would always love her, and he knew everything there was to know, every broken piece of her and every scar.  
They walked for a few minutes, past a children's playground, down a long winding path, until they reached a small but sweet little house next to a creek. It was old, and the paint was peeling. The bushes were overgrown, and the grass unattended. Severus put his hand on her shoulder and spoke with an ease that she envied.  
"This is your mother's house."  
Rosie looked up at him with wide eyes. Yes, he knew exactly what she needed.


	55. Chapter 55

Remus stumbled into the sitting room of his flat to find Sirius waiting anxiously by the fire. The man looked up expectantly and Remus' face crumbled. The werewolf sank to his knees, breathing heavily and fighting the urge to wretch. "Remus mate, is Rosie alright?" Sirius' asked, his voice rising in pitch.  
The man nodded. "She's with Snape"  
"What happened Moony?" He had knelt down on the floor with his friend and grasped onto the man's shoulders as Remus' body fought to stay upright.  
"Rosie did so good. She was brilliant, so brave. She even bloody cried on command. The defense representative was speechless."  
"That's great Moon, but what's wrong?" Sirius pressed, concern threading through his words.  
"It was… the memories. God Sirius, I thought I could… I thought I would be alright… I thought I had already pictured it enough in my mind, but I wasn't prepared." His breathing shortened into soft gasps.  
"Aw shit man, it was that bad eh?"  
"Worse. Padfoot, her screams. I…I've never heard anyone make those sounds before. He just… he forced her, and she had no idea what was going on." Remus allowed the tears to flow. "She was just a baby."  
"Fuck." Sirius cursed, dropping his head into his hands. "That's so fucked up. I don't even want to think…"  
"He got a fucking hard on watching it Padfoot. In front of everyone, in front of Rose. It was sick." Remus spat.  
"Oh god." The man made a face.  
"I'm surprised she hasn't slept through half the bloody school trying to forget that." The werewolf continued.  
"I'm so sorry mate, I have no clue what to say. I've never… dealt with this kind of thing before."  
"I think I screwed up Padfoot, like really buggered this." The man confessed. "I didn't say a word to her after… I couldn't even look her in the god damn eyes. I just kept seeing…"  
Sirius sighed and pulled the man into an embrace. "It'll be ok man. Just let her have her time with Snivellus and she'll come back feeling better."  
"I just…I should have pretended. We've never had any trouble Rosie and me, she just became mine so easily when she saw me… I don't know how to make this better."  
"Well my dearest Moony, you are looking at public enemy number one as it concerns Rosie, so I don't think my advice really means much. You'll get through it, she adores you."  
It was not until later, when the two men had made their peace with the day and began to resume normal activities, that Severus stepped through the fire, eyes blazing. He immediately turned his glare onto the wolf who cringed. Black stood up to defend his pet, moving in front of the feeble man.  
"What. Were. You. Thinking?" Severus began threateningly. "The moment that you left my property, the child became inconsolable. She is now under the impression that you have ceased loving her." He spat.  
The wolf's jaw dropped, and he let out a grunt of misery. "Back off Snivelly. Not everyone is as fucking heartless as you."  
"Severus, please give my apologies to Rosie. I was so overcome…"  
"Indeed. This all must be extremely… difficult for you Lupin." He drawled sarcastically. "You will be pleased to note that the child is coping much better than yourself… in fact, she has already replaced you. Black. Rose has requested your presence tomorrow during the sentencing hearing as opposed to Lupin." Severus relayed to the ex-convict. The man's eyes widened, and the wolf rubbed his face with his hands. Lupin deserved it. It did not take a genius to realize that the child would fear rejection after her guardian witnessed such private memories.  
"Just, tell Rosie I'm sorry and that I love her. Please Severus."  
"I am not going to do the groveling for you. You will soon be reunited. Do it yourself."


	56. Chapter 56

Rosie had stayed at Severus' the night after the trial. She could not bear to face Moony, not after what he'd seen of her. Rose didn't think that she was asking too much to expect him to have said… something, anything. The silence, that crushing tension between them had never existed before. There had never been a time that being with Moony was hard, but yesterday, after he'd seen it all, that was unbearable. Severus had done his best to try and convince her that the werewolf was just weak, and that he was not used to being confronted by such strong images, but Rosie already knew that. Not that Moony was weak, he was far from it. No, she had known that he would be more sensitive to the memories and she had brought him anyways. The problem was that she didn't know how to move forward from here. If there was ever a look worse than the infamous 'dead parents look,' it was the 'poor little victim look.' Rosie was sure that her guardian would forever adorn said expression from there on out. All she ever wanted was to be treated normally, like any other teenage girl.  
The morning of day two, Severus had a hard time getting her out of bed. He had to physically levitate her off it and set out her clothing before she would even consider getting dressed. Rosie felt bad excluding Moony that day, especially in favor of Sirius, but there was no way that she was going to repeat the same events as the previous day. Her ex-godfather arrived at Severus' house awkwardly, and bypassed the potions master, moving straight towards her.  
"Rose." He breathed. "Are you ready to go?" Sirius draped his arm around her.  
She shot him a small smile. "Just wait one second." Rosie said and she skipped forward, moving his arm off her, and throwing herself at Severus. "Everything that happens today is because of you Sir." She whispered, loud enough for Sirius to hear too. The dour man was tense, as he usually was in the presence of Sirius, but he did rest his hand in between her shoulder blades and nod in acknowledgement of what she had said.  
"Alright, now I'm ready." Rosie turned towards Sirius again.  
"Sure thing, Little Prongs." He grinned and hooked his arm through hers. They arrived at the ministry to the same hoard of reporters and newscasters as the previous day, but Sirius, who never wore a cloak, could not cover her. Instead, he winked, and smiled at the cameras, dragging her along, their arms still interlocked. "Please make way. Coming through. Scuse us. Thank you. Leave her be, today is hard enough as it is. Move along. No pictures please." Sirius carried himself with a confidence that rivaled Severus', but in a completely opposite manner. Actually, Rosie supposed it was the kind of confidence that most pureblood raised and educated wizards possessed. It was more of a charisma mixed with just the slightest air of entitlement. She wondered if this is what James Potter had been like. This time, Rosie directed Sirius into the waiting room, and then almost as if were a conditioned response, she began to feel the nerves. Thankfully, there would be no memory sharing in this part of the trial, it was just the reading of the verdict, but Rose didn't want to see Lockhart again. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to control the nausea.  
Sirius eyes her meaningfully. "Nervous?" He asked.  
"A little." She winced.  
"Hey, this is the good part. This is where you get your justice."  
"I just don't want to see him again."  
The man nodded. "I know Rosie, but this is the last time. Think of it like a goodbye."  
"More like a good riddance." She added.  
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Arthur Weasley popped his head into the room, his expression stricken.  
"Rose. Hi honey, I just wanted to stop by and see you."  
Rosie's stomach clenched, and so it began. Sirius stood up to flank her. "Hi Mr. Weasley." She said softly. The man moved forward, almost like he wanted to embrace her but thought better of it.  
"Sweetheart, I just wanted to let you know how deeply sorry I am for what happened, and that everyone at home is rooting for you."  
Rosie closed her eyes momentarily. This was the start of many of these types of conversations she was sure. Opening them again, she grimaced. "Thanks Mr. Weasley. I appreciate it." The best she could do was be polite.  
"To think, last summer when you stayed with us, this had all just happened. It makes a lot of sense now. I'm glad you had Ginny to make you feel better."  
This was straying into territory that Rose did not want to touch. "Yeah, well, Ginny needed someone too, so it was a good arrangement." She continued awkwardly, hoping that he'd leave. Mr. Weasley nodded, but did not seem to listen to what she'd said. The Weasleys really didn't like talking about what happened with Ginny the previous year, it was something that Rosie thought should've been handled better. At least Rose had had Severus, who had acknowledged her pain.  
The man patted her shoulder uncomfortably, and then smiled. "Good luck then Rose." He said as he made to leave. When he was gone, she turned to face Sirius who cocked an eyebrow. "I stayed with the Weasleys last summer." She informed him. The man was about to say something, but Mrs. Bones walked in and informed them that it was time to enter.  
Sirius sighed and held out his arms as an invitation. Rosie wrapped herself around him in the hug, and then he interlocked their arms again and led her into the room. "Chin up Prongslet, you should be proud." He whispered as they took their seats. Prongslet? That was new too. She had to admit, it was kind of a cute nickname.  
The Wizengamot was introduced once again, in case they were all too old and senile to remember each other from the previous day, and then Rosie was introduced. When she sat back down, Rose lay her head on Sirius' shoulder in anticipation of Lockhart's arrival. Her body tensed and her breath caught as the prisoner was led into the room in chains once again, the same dejected stare on his face from the previous day when his representative had quit asking questions. Sirius' eyes followed him, expression hardening. Men, she sighed internally. They were all the same. Rosie was just thankful that Siri hadn't tried to talk about Moony yet.  
The narrator began to speak then, and Rose tuned out. She did not come back into focus until the vote was to be done. When asked to stand in favor of a guilty verdict on all counts, Rosie was shocked as she watched every single wizard in the room stand. Dumbledore made eye contact with her as he rose and nodded.  
She heard the cry of, "Guilty!" and then the sentence was served. Lockhart would spend six years in Azkaban. Following his imprisonment, he would be forced the register on a list for sex offenders, and complete mandatory community service hours for the following six years. He would also be barred from contacting Rose and would be obligated to leave any space that she occupied. That was for life. She barely felt Sirius squeeze her shoulder in triumphant support. Rose didn't really feel like celebrating. She just felt empty. Lockhart crumpled in front of them. His face fell and his body seemed to give out. Her heart stuttered. Sirius helped her up and led her towards the exit, ducking into a small side room before the reporters could begin to crowd them. He pulled her into a hug, spinning her around.  
"You did it!" The man smiled, but his smile faded when he saw her downcast expression.  
"Hey, Rosie, what's wrong? Aren't you happy?"  
She winced. No, she wasn't happy. She wasn't happy at all. Nothing had changed. Rose wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but everything felt exactly the same.  
"Siri…" She began. "Doesn't it make you upset to think about another person being put in Azkaban? You know… after what happened to you."  
He frowned. "Honey, that man deserves everything that Azkaban has to offer."  
"I guess, but does he really? Does anybody deserve that?"  
Sirius was quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. When he did speak, it was with purpose. "Rose. I don't know… I didn't see what it was like for you… what Lockhart did, but you've gotta know one thing. Remus does not cry. Mind you, I wasn't there for a lot of the hard shit, but I have known him for a long time. Moony, he just doesn't cry, but Rose… when he got home yesterday, he broke down. Like on the floor. I've never seen him like that."  
Rosie winced.  
"What I'm trying to say is… If what that bastard did to you could make Remus cry, then he bloody well deserves it Prongslet."  
She bowed her head. "I never wanted to make anyone suffer." Rose sighed. "Even him. I just didn't want to see him anymore… to worry about running into him."  
He nodded understandingly. "I know, but you did good Rose. Really." Sirius draped his arm around her, and pulled her into the ministry halls, which had cleared out. "I hate taking you back there to Snape. Are you sure you don't want to come back with me and talk to Remus? He's pretty cut up."  
Rosie shook her head. "Not yet Siri. I just… need to be with Severus for a while, now that all this is over."  
"Alright, I get it. Just, don't stay away too long. We miss you."  
She nodded, and allowed him to leave her with the potions master, who was fretting by the fireplace once again. When Rosie arrived home after dinner with Severus that night, she went straight to bed. Moony hadn't come out to greet her, and Sirius had been having alone time in his room. Rose wasn't sure what Siri did all the time alone in his room, but he spent a lot of time up there. She thought he might be depressed. The next morning when she awoke, it was already late. Eight o'clock had passed and Moony still wasn't up. Neither was Sirius, but that was normal. Rosie poked her head into Moony's room to find him still asleep, or perhaps he was passed out, because an empty bottle of firewhiskey lay on its side beside him. She popped into Siri's room too to see if they'd been drinking together, but he was awake, tracing the outline of his headboard distractedly. He did not notice her. Rose flooed over to Severus' to ask for hangover potion, which he gave to her with a glare, muttering something about irresponsible guardians. When she returned, she busied herself making breakfast, and then resolved to bring the potion up to Moony.  
Picking up the firewhiskey bottle from the side table and setting it right, Rosie planted a kiss on her guardian's head and spoke, "Alrighty Moony, up and at'em." She pulled at his shoulders and the werewolf moaned in pain. After several tries, she succeeded in getting him into a sitting position and touched the vial to his lips. "It's hangover potion." Rose told him firmly.  
"Ugh. Thanks sweetie." He groaned, leaning into her touch.  
"You shouldn't do this to yourself because of me." She lectured, remembering Severus' words to her.  
"Oh Rosie, please let me explain…"  
"Hush." Rose sighed. "We can talk when you're better. Go wash up, and I have breakfast ready downstairs."  
"You're an angel." He moaned again, pulling himself to stand.  
She left Moony and knocked on Sirius' door. "Breakfast is hot, come down Siri." The man rolled over and mumbled something. Rosie left him to his own devices. She knew he would come down later. Rose set the table and waited for Moony to amble his way down the stairs. When he was finally seated, the werewolf looked up at her with a pained expression.  
"You shouldn't have to do this for me. I should be doing this for you my love. I should've…"  
Rosie cringed.  
"Rose, please listen, I am so sorry. You've got to understand, I love you more than anything. You're the most important person for me, and I couldn't bear it honey. I couldn't bear to see him do that to you." The man shook his head and closed his eyes. "But I should've…" He continued at the same moment that Rose exploded.  
"Yes. You bloody well should have Moony! You should've said something, ANYTHING would have been better than silence. You made my worst fear come true. I didn't EVER want you to have to see that, and you knew it! You knew it and you still… you still… YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY!"  
Moony closed his eyes and allowed her to yell. "You're right, Rose. I really screwed up, and I'm sorry, but please know that this does not change how I see you honey. Not in the least."  
"You are lying to me." She spat. "I am tainted Moony. Ever since he did that, I've been poisoned, and now you know."  
The werewolf recoiled, then stood up and took her arms in his grasp. "Well then I must have a fondness for poison honey, because I've never loved you more." He scolded softly.  
Rosie growled and pushed her head roughly into his shoulder, allowing him to put his arms around her. "I'll just hurt you Moony."  
He nudged her. "If hurting me is what you've been doing this entire year then please continue because I don't think I`ve ever been happier."  
"Git." She grumbled. "You could've just said no Moony. Though, you did win the whole damn thing telling me to cry like that."  
"That was all you sweetie. You are so wonderfully expressive. Lily was a lot like that. She knew how to get riled up."  
"Now you're just getting desperate bringing up mom."  
"Is it working?" He smirked.  
"Oh, definitely" She sighed, leaning into him further.


	57. Chapter 57

"Now, what will you do if you are separated from Black?" Severus asked.  
"I will use a point me spell to find him."  
"Excellent, and in the event that you are captured by death eaters?"  
Rosie cringed. "Erm… tell them that Severus Snape is my guardian and list off an array of colorful hexes that you are well versed in."  
The potions master glared. "I do not find this humorous."  
"Sorry, erm, probably let them do whatever they want to me…Severus, do you actually think they'll try to capture me? I wouldn't last five minutes."  
Severus growled. "No, I do not believe they will target you; however, should you find yourself in that situation, you will be equipped with a galleon, charmed with a tracking spell."  
Rosie raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Are you sure this isn't just some elaborate scheme to make sure I don't sneak into Cedric's tent?"  
The man was livid. "Rose. Pay attention to me." He spat.  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Really, it just makes me nervous to think about ok?" She shifted.  
Severus sighed. "Behave. I would be extremely distressed were I forced to mourn you."  
Rosie closed her eyes. That was Severus speak for 'I love you.' She grabbed his arm lightly in her hand. "I love you too Severus. I'll be careful. I won't leave Sirius' side."  
He nodded and let his breath out.  
Sirius was practically bouncing with excitement the morning of the Quidditch World Cup. They had had to wake up at the crack of dawn to meet the Weasleys and the Diggorys at the portkey site, and he hadn't even complained about the early hour or the long walk.  
"Your dad and I went to one of these once. Your grandfather took us the summer after I ran away from home. We were sixteen." He smiled at the memory.  
"Who played?" Rosie indulged him.  
"I think it was France and Switzerland." My girlfriend at the time was French, and she spent the whole time sulking because France lost.  
"Sirius Black had an actual girlfriend? For how long?" She giggled.  
"Hey, you're so mean Rosie. I had lots of girlfriends."  
"Ok, but what was your longest relationship?"  
He furrowed his brows… "Well, I did date this one girl for six months in my twenties, but it didn't end very well."  
"Uh huh." Rose winked.  
Sirius glared at her. "Don't even try to tell me that you're not the same. I see the way you go back and forth over the Diggory boy."  
She pushed him lightly. "Git. I love Cedric."  
"Yeah, today." He shot back. She pouted at him.  
"Was James like that?" Rose asked as they walked.  
"What? An ass?"  
"Yeah, with women I mean."  
"Pfft. No, believe me I tried to influence him Prongslet, but he had his eyes set on Lily from first year. It was Lils who resisted for so long. He mooned over her for years."  
"That's kind of weird." She laughed, "but I guess it's sweet."  
"Heya, Rosie, can I ask you something? And can you promise not to get irritated and stop talking to me?"  
Rose cocked an eyebrow as his tone deepened and he draped an arm across her shoulder. "Yeah, go ahead." She allowed.  
"Why do you call him James?"  
Her stomach lurched. "What do you mean? That's his name."  
"You know what I mean." He commented softly. "I've never once heard you call Lily by her name."  
"Siri, I just… I have complicated feelings when it comes to James Potter that I just don't have when I think about my mom."  
"Yeah, I kinda got that Rosie, but… why?"  
She flushed defensively. "I don't know."  
"Is it a Snape thing? Because if you're taking Snape's side in all of that school rivalry bullshit you should know that the greasy bat dealt it out just as much as he got it." His voice rose in pitch.  
"Woah. Siri relax. I am not gonna fight with you about this. It's not because of Severus. He and I never speak about my father."  
"Then what is it Rose? I mean, he just… he loved you so much and sometimes I feel like you don't realize that. Remus would never ask, but he is curious too."  
"It's complicated. Maybe it's a girl thing…"  
Sirius' brows knitted together. "What?"  
"Like… I don't know, some sort of daddy issue. I've just always kind of felt more, erm, abandoned by him than my mother. I didn't grow up with a dad, and girls are supposed to have dads to… you know, protect them and stuff, and I had to find people to do that, but it was already kinda too late."  
"Oh." He breathed. "I guess I didn't really think about it like that."  
"When Severus taught me the patronus charm, I asked him what he thought mine would form, and he said a stag, but I knew that it wouldn't. I don't want to disrespect my father, or the sacrifice that he made for me, and god what I wouldn't do just to spend five minutes with him, but I can't help but feel… strange about it all."  
Sirius winced and nodded. "What is your patronus Rosie?" He asked, trying to change the subject.  
She let out a soft little squeak of discomfort. "A bat." Her voice was barely audible.  
"I didn't hear you Prongslet."  
"It's a bat." She said, louder this time. The man's eyes widened like saucers. "Sweet Merlin, could you be any more like Lily? What is it with you Evans girls?"  
Rosie groaned and rubbed her hand over her face. "What is yours Siri?" She returned the question. The man grimaced. "I can't manage the charm anymore." He started, but, when I could, it was a lion."  
Rose frowned. "I'm sorry."  
"No, don't be. Maybe I will again someday." The ex-con tried to smile.  
"I guess you went for the pretty obvious protector animal, didn't you? I thought maybe you'd say a dog."  
"Naw, it was Gryffindor." He shared. "Gryffindor was what separated me from my family, and where I felt safe."  
She lost herself in thought then, and for the first time wondered if Sirius had lived like she had at the Dursleys in his own home. He might have even had it worse. Rosie couldn't decide what would be shittier, having dead parents or having abusive parents. Up ahead, Rosie spotted two tall figures standing together by a tree. One, she recognized right away as Cedric, and the other she assumed was Amos Diggory. Sirius coughed uncomfortably as the boy trotted over, sweeping her into his arms, and planting a semi-chaste kiss on her lips, his hands sweeping down, resting on the small of her back.  
"Hey Rose. Man, I've missed you." He greeted, winking.  
"I missed you too." Rosie allowed.  
Amos Diggory approached then, his eyes trained on her. "Rose, this is my dad, Amos." Cedric introduced.  
"Nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand.  
Mr. Diggory nodded and smiled, taking her hand in his own. "Rose, I've heard so much about you. I was so sorry to hear about… erm, your struggles as of late. Terrible business that was."  
Rosie flinched. She was doing a lot of that lately. Cedric cleared his throat and Amos closed his mouth. Sirius' hand came to rest on her arm. He stretched out his other hand toward Amos, "Sirius Black. Nice to meet you."  
Cedric's father made a face, like he had smelled something unsavory, but did reach out to take Sirius' hand. "Yes… I have heard of you. I was expecting Lupin."  
Rosie felt instantly wary. "I invited Sirius. He was my father's best friend." She informed the man. Cedric, who could sense the tension, nudged his father and grunted. "C'mon dad, we'd better get going." Out of spite, Rose locked her arm around Sirius'. Just because she fought with the man didn't mean she was going to let anyone else act that way towards him. Cedric and his father moved in front of them to lead the way to the point at which they would meet up with the Weasleys.  
Amos Diggory didn't speak much until Mr. Weasley showed up. It was Ginny who came through the clearing first, wrapping Rosie in a tight hug and grinning at Sirius. Next came the twins who took one look at her, their faces falling into identical frowns. George came up from behind her and Fred in front. "We asked you specifically if there was anyone that we could take care of for you." George said seriously as they engulfed her, Rosie's feet floating a foot off the ground. The twins were getting tall. Their words made her smile. "That was afterwards guys."  
"Still. You should've told us." She nodded. Cedric was eying the three of them, a strange look on his face. Was he jealous? Of Fred and George? As the twins put her down, the moment she'd dreaded the most fell upon her with a sudden clarity. Ron and Hermione appeared through the trees, walking with the hands interlocked. As soon as Hermione caught sight of Rose she grimaced visibly.  
"Oh Rosie!" She cried, moving to hug her. "I can't believe you never told me. We shared a room the entire time he was hurting you. I could've helped." Tears brimmed in the girl's eyes. Everyone had stopped and was staring at them. "Mione, I didn't know it was happening." Rose tried to whisper. "Still, I just… How awful Rose. It all makes sense now." Her face was beginning to flush with embarrassment when Ron spoke. "Yeah, he didn't seem like the type to do that." The boy grunted awkwardly.  
Rosie whirled around searching for some sort of distraction. Sirius caught her eye and walked over. "So quidditch huh?" He said smoothly… trying to move the conversation forward. Hermione seemed to catch on to his intent because she changed her facial expression, but Rosie knew that this wouldn't be the last of her friends' questions.  
By the time that they had arrived at the campsite and pitched the tent, Rose was exhausted with her friends. Between Cedric trying desperately to filter his father, Hermione's feelings of betrayal masked as concern, and Ron's awkward demeanor, she was left praying for the game to begin. Sirius had been trying to keep conversation going, taking every opportunity to avoid discussing the trial. The game was to begin in two hours, so they had plenty of time. Cedric approached her outside of the tent she would share with Sirius, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, and asked if she'd take a walk with him. Rosie felt bad because she had invited Sirius. She wanted to make sure that he had a good time, and for that reason she didn't want to wander off with Ced. However, Sirius must have seen the apprehension in her face because he came over, touched a hand to her back, and winked. "Go ahead, just be back in half an hour. Don't wander too far."  
After that, Rose allowed her boyfriend to drag her away. Immediately, she found the root of the problem. "Rose. Listen, I'm sorry about my dad." The boy started. "He works for the ministry, and he was there when Sirius was first arrested. He still doesn't believe he's innocent."  
Rosie's eyes widened. "What? He knows they used veritaserum on him, right?"  
"I don't know… I don't know why he's acting this way."  
"It's fine Ced, it's not your fault, but I'm not gonna ditch Siri alright? I invited him. He doesn't erm… get to enjoy himself a lot, so I'm gonna make sure he has a good time."  
"Yeah, that's ok, it's fine. Just, give me something to think about going into the game." Cedric winked. Rosie raised her eyebrows and leaned up and into him, pressing her lips softly against his mouth. He growled and brought her closer, tracing his teeth along her lip, and sucking gently. Letting out of a soft moan, she clung onto the boy and leaned back up against a tree. The kiss began to heat up and Rosie was very aware of the lack of crowding where they were, allowing the boy to caress her body. Both sufficiently distracted, they didn't notice the sound of someone coughing… or perhaps clearing their throat. Cedric pulled back and blushed to find Hermione watching from a few feet away. "Sorry to interrupt." She started, blushing. "We were just gonna start exploring if you wanted to come."  
The couple pulled apart and headed back to the campsite, passing several familiar faces. Ginny had found Dean and was making eyes at him. They came up behind Sirius and Amos who seemed to be on the tail end of a rousing discussion.  
Sirius watched Rosie leave with the Diggory boy and felt a familiar shadow approach behind him. "Cedric was under the impression that you and Rose did not get along." Amos said tersely. He cocked an eyebrow, "Not at first, but we're getting there."  
"What purpose does you serve in her life? I'd imagine that the last thing the girl needs hanging around is another man."  
"I'm sorry? Have I offended you in some way?" Sirius asked, his tone sharp.  
"Forgive me, I just think it's odd that the first thing you do when you escape ministry custody is look for the daughter of a schoolmate."  
"James was like my brother. I was Rosie's godfather."  
"Not anymore." Amos continued.  
"Is there a point to this?" He snapped.  
"Just… don't pretend to be something you're not. My Cedric spent weeks suffering because you would not let him speak with young Rose, something you had no right to bar him from."  
"That's what this is about?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Remus, her legal guardian, agreed with me. If you think that your kid suffered, you obviously don't have a clue what he did to deserve it."  
"I know all about the drunkenness at the Longbottom party. Ced only left because he didn't want to be tempted to take advantage of the girl in her vulnerable state."  
"Ew. Maybe it's your son that has the problem if that's what stopped him from bringing her home like he said he would."  
"Listen Black, I like Rose, she seems sweet and it is understandable that she was upset, but I will not have her playing with Cedric's sensibilities."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"I've read about erm… sexual attacks Black. I've heard it can make good girls do things they shouldn't. The alcohol, the way she flounces around with men, the Weasley twins. I just don't want her to be a bad influence on him. Ced has a bright future."  
Sirius' eyes widened. "Your kid is three bloody years older than her and he can't even cast a god damn contraceptive charm Diggory, while we're talking about bad influences. Trust me, Rose isn't the one that Cedric should fear if she goes to Snape for another emergency potion."  
"Sirius!" Rosie gasped from behind, her face shocked. Both Cedric and Hermione turned to stare at her. The man groaned and twisted around to face her, his mouth opening to say something. "I don't know how much you just heard Rosie but trust me, this jackass said worse."  
Cedric scowled at his father. "Dad, what the hell? I told you to stay out of it."  
Amos Diggory rounded on Rosie then, and she flinched back. "You're not using contraception?" He glowered. "Is that what you want? Are you looking to trap my son Miss Potter?"  
Cedric turned to face her, his mouth open. "Rose?" He asked in disbelief.  
"Oh my god. Are you daft? You don't even recognize the bloody contraceptive charm when I cast it every single time?" She vented at her boyfriend.  
"Cast it." Amos Diggory bared down on her. Rosie looked helplessly to Sirius. "Diggory, get fucked." He barked at Amos.  
Hermione's mouth had been open since they had overheard Sirius. "You're having sex?" She whispered urgently.  
Rose sighed and cast the charm over herself in full view. Cedric's face was hard to read, but he turned to his dad and nodded. "Yeah, she does cast that."  
Amos nodded curtly. "I apologize Rose. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way."  
"Oh, but you'll speak about her behind her back though?" Sirius spun to face him, his cheeks red with indignation.  
"Dad, what did you say?" Her boyfriend's eyebrows furrowed. The older Diggory just shook his head.  
"Unbelievable." Sirius muttered to himself.  
The tension was palpable. Rosie breathed out again and rubbed her temples. "Can we just, let this die?" She asked softly. "We can just forget about it and enjoy the world cup. I've never been to a professional match and I really wanted to have a good time."  
Cedric sighed and leaned into her back, pressing a kiss to her head. "Yeah, let's just forget this. Dad?" He lifted his eyes. Amos agreed, scratching his head uncomfortably. Rosie kissed Cedric back and then separated from him, resuming her place at Sirius' side, and then extending a hand to Hermione. Her once best friend gave her a look, but then smiled and accepted it. She leaned in to Sirius and whispered low, so only he could hear, "Thanks."  
"Anytime Little Prongs." He winked.  
Just in case Rosie was beginning to enjoy herself and relax too much, as it turned out, the Malfoys would be sharing the same box as them during the game, which she did not find out until they had climbed what seemed to be every stair in the stadium. Rose had just been in the process of finding her seat, Sirius in front of her, when she heard the familiar voice.  
"Potter." Malfoy growled. "What are you doing here?"  
Rosie's eyes widened, and she spun around to find Malfoy standing in front of what looked to be his parents.  
"What do you bloody think?" She tried to play it off. Rose would not react. Nobody knew about her and Malfoy except Sirius.  
"They let you out then? Thought you'd still be in hiding."  
She glared. Malfoy looked to Cedric and raised an eyebrow.  
"Diggory." He acknowledged.  
Rosie's stomach clenched with nerves, but they were unfounded as Draco took his seat behind them and did not say anything more. The match began and Rosie spent the whole time shrieking and squealing with Sirius who was positively enraptured. Rose was enraptured by… other things, as she followed the dreamy seeker, Viktor Krum with her eyes, but she didn't mention that part to Sirius. Rose wished Ginny had been sitting with them so that they could watch him together, but she knew that her friend was more interested in the handsome, dark-skinned, Dean Thomas. She couldn't really blame her. The half time show was the most interesting part. Having forgotten all about Sirius' mention of Veela over birthday dinner, Rosie was shocked to actually see them. They were very beautiful, in almost an inhuman way… When they began to dance, she started to giggle. Sirius moved forward, almost like he was in a trance, his body sneaking toward the edge of the box. Rose jumped forward, wrapping her hands around his eyes and dragging him back to his seat.  
"Siri, you dog!" She shouted, still laughing. The man broke into a grin. "Can't help it Sweetheart."  
Cedric had made do on his promise to bring a blindfold, and it seems that Malfoy had the same idea because he and his father stayed in their seats. However, Mr. Weasley, Amos, and the twins all lurched forward as Sirius had. Hermione had her hands clamped around Ron's face on the other end of the box. When the Veela finally left, there were a lot of red faces and awkward coughing sounds going around.  
In the end, Ireland won, but Krum caught the snitch. Rosie had been hoping for Bulgaria, so she was a bit disappointed, but Sirius had wanted Ireland, and his excitement was hard to ignore. Cedric swept her up into a long kiss while everyone cheered, and Rose swore that she heard Malfoy chuckle from behind. Her suspicions were confirmed when a small piece of paper landed in her lap just as everyone was about to leave the stands. She didn't dare open it in front of everyone. Instead, she pocketed it until they were all tucked back into their tents and waiting to eat. The note read,  
Meet me at the edge of the forest at midnight.  
The neat scrawl was unmistakably that of Draco Malfoy. What on earth did Malfoy want with her alone in the forest at midnight? Rose knew the answer, absolutely nothing good. Every instinct that Rosie had in her body screamed no, cried danger. There was going to be a death eater attack that night for Merlin's sake. Malfoy's only intention could be to hurt her, or perhaps… no, he wouldn't want to… Rosie shook her head. Either way, it would be a terrible idea to meet him. The problem was that on top of insatiable Gryffindor curiosity, Rose Potter also had a bit of a thing for danger, especially lately. Severus was going to kill her. That evening, after she had kissed Cedric goodnight, and Sirius had fallen into a well-deserved sleep, Rosie sat up talking with Ginny and Hermione. Ron had fallen asleep near the other man.  
"Rose! You're having sex and you never told me!" Ginny whispered accusingly.  
"I'm sorry! I didn't want you guys to think badly of me."  
Hermione blushed, "I'm just surprised Rosie… especially after hearing about…you know."  
"Erm, it actually kinda helps with that." She confessed, chagrined.  
"It does?" Hermione asked. Rosie nodded.  
"I've been thinking about… um, trying it." Her friend confessed, her face reddening further.  
"Mione! With my brother?!" Ginny squealed.  
"Shhh!" Rose hissed, he'll wake up.  
"Well, he definitely wants to… and I think I do to."  
"Ew." The redhead whined.  
"Well why haven't you? You've been together the same as Cedric and me, and we've been at it for a while."  
"I'm nervous!" She squeaked. "It's supposed to hurt the first time. Did if hurt for you?"  
Rosie cringed. "Uh, the first time yeah, a lot, but the first time with Cedric no, and it hurt every time with Lockhart." Her face contorted.  
Her friends didn't seem to know what to say to that. Finally, Hermione spoke. "How can I make it… better when we do it?"  
"Oh my gosh." Rose started, remembering, "Let me tell you about this thing that Cedric did…" She proceeded to explain in detail her most fond encounter with oral sex, as the two girls listened with rapt attention. Rosie was corrupting her friends and she knew it. The other girls had fallen asleep around eleven thirty, which left her plenty of time to contemplate her decision. Ditching the tracking galleon, which would sound an alarm if she left the tent, Rosie unzipped the fabric and stepped out into the night, wrapping her pajama top tightly around herself. The entire walk was just one long symphony of her mind singing, "Turn around you imbecile" in Severus' baritone drawl, but she didn't listen.  
As she reached the edge of the forest, it was not difficult to spot the pale figure of the boy in question.  
"Potter. You came." He stated plainly.  
"Erm… yeah." Rosie replied, shifting uncomfortably. "Why did you ask me here Malfoy?"  
"You owe me."  
"I owe you? What the hell do you want from me?" She spat.  
The boy lunged forward, trapping her wrist in his hand and yanking her further into the forest. He spun her around, grabbed onto the other wrist, and pinned her against the tree, pushing his body against hers. Rosie squirmed and growled, trying to get him off her. "What the fuck Malfoy?" Her instincts told her to fight, but she suppressed them. "I need this." He snarled, and for some reason, she understood. Rose was beginning to feel the familiar warmth between her legs and cursed inwardly. She was so bloody weak. Thoughts of Cedric were the last on her mind as Draco Malfoy began to ravish her once again, his strong arms still holding her hostage against the tree.  
"You bloody get off on this too don't you?" He sniggered. "That's fucked up Potter. "I bet Diggory doesn't do this."  
Oh, Draco Malfoy was so foul, but Rosie couldn't help it, his words only spurred her on more. He saw her flinch at the mention of Cedric and scoffed, "I won't tell a soul. Pansy'd skin me alive." The tension that he created within her rivalled anything she'd every felt before… or perhaps it was adrenaline. Then, the boy shocked her. He began to speak, his breath tickling her ear. "My father's a bloody death eater. He's been bringing them all over to the manor. I can't stand it." He hissed, tightening his grip on her.  
Rosie's eyes widened. "I can't stand it, and I'm afraid." Draco confessed. Then, with a soft groan, he crushed his lips to hers. There tongues warred with each other, her body responding eagerly to his touch. There was something familiar about his growl, his presence that was so attractive. This time was very similar to the last. Malfoy had some sort of control issue because he insisted on casting the contraceptive charm himself once again. At least he had remembered. She'd been ready to do it again without. Rosie was pretty sure that Severus would actually have murdered her, like Avada Kedavra, if she'd asked for a potion because she'd slept with Draco Malfoy in the woods. It was in that moment that Rosie realized something horrible. She understood now exactly what she was doing. It was Severus. This was a Severus thing. This was just another screwed up part of her psyche, another aspect of her daddy issue. Malfoy reminded her of Severus and that's why she was doing this again. She wanted to scream. Draco was doing his trousers up again, and she was pulling on hers mechanically. "Oh god, I'm so fucked up." Rose whined. Once again, she cursed James Potter for dying and leaving her with this defect.  
"Join the bloody club." The boy returned. "Now, get back to your tent before Sirius Black hits me." He insisted. Rosie nodded and turned to go… but that's when the screams began. Chaos ensued. Malfoy cursed and pulled her into a bush, where they waited out the storm. She trembled with fear, afraid for Sirius and for her friends. "Relax Potter. They're just screwing with the muggles."  
"That's awful." Rose whimpered.  
"I know." He winced. It took a long time for things to quiet down, and it wasn't long before she began to hear voices.  
"Rose!" "Rosie!" "Rosie can you hear me?" It was Siri. He stumbled into their hiding spot and when he set eyes on her, his body sagged. The man ran forward and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "Rosie honey, I was so bloody worried." It looked like he was about to start crying. When the relief settled, the rage began. Sirius took one look at Malfoy, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.  
"You didn't. You did NOT actually sneak out of the tent to do THIS again!" He roared, gesturing to Draco.  
"Sirius I…"  
"Don't. Don't even speak. I don't want to hear it. How stupid are you Rose?! God You could have been killed! How DARE you?!" He was really angry.  
Rosie just hung her head and allowed him to drag her back to the tent, leaving Malfoy behind in the forest. She felt terrible for putting him through that.


	58. Chapter 58

Sirius was so angry, that he made her walk with him all the way to the apparition access point in middle of the night. She had to run to keep up with his lengthy stride. After he'd told her not to speak, he hadn't said another word, silently fuming. It took almost forty minutes to get there, and by the time they arrived Rose was breathing heavy. Her clothes felt as dirty as her soul from the time she'd spent on the ground waiting out the attack. Holding out his arm wordlessly, she squeezed her eyes shut, half in shame, and half in preparation for the impending apparition. They landed roughly outside of Moony's cottage. Sirius caught her as she fell forward. He unlocked the door, letting Rosie in, and then shut it loudly behind him.  
"Sirius…" She started when they were safely inside. "Please don't do this." She begged, referring to his obvious intention of ignoring her. "Stop looking at me like that."  
"Looking at you? How am I looking at you? Do I look pissed? Because I was worried sick for you Rose so bloody worried, and then relieved when I saw you. Relieved that I could finally be furious with you, instead of terrified of finding your dead body tossed in a ditch somewhere! You KNEW that there was going to be a death eater attack tonight at the world cup. We took safety precautions, you SWORE that you would stay by my side!"  
"I know. I know Sirius, I screwed up, I'm so sorry!"  
"Tell me why Rose. Why did you go to him? Did you want to hurt yourself again? Does your life mean so little to you? Do we, mean so little to you?" He gestured his hand up the stairs where she knew her godfather was resting.  
Rosie's face contorted. "Siri…I, I don't know what to say."  
By this time, Moony who was exhausted from the fast-approaching full moon, had heard the commotion and had come rushing down the stairs, his face full of alarm. "Rosie, Sirius? Did something happen?"  
Sirius shot her one last glare, and began to stalk towards the stairs, bypassing Moony, and making his way to his bedroom. She could tell that he'd gotten there by the resounded slam of his door as he closed it in anger. Rosie was left standing there, awkwardly, in her dirty pajamas. Moony, who was too tired to be more inquisitive just sighed and motioned for her to follow him. She stayed in his bed that night, allowing the comfort of his affection to make her feel better about the damage that she'd caused.  
Remus awoke the next morning with his whole-body aching. He could tell that the transformation that night would be a difficult one. It took a moment for him to orient himself into the situation in which he woke up. Sirius had brought Rosie home in the middle of the night… that he remembered, and that's why she was curled up against him. Her body was still tense and her sleep fitful. They'd fought about something. This wasn't a shock to the werewolf. When Sirius and Rose got along, they were downright adorable, but when they fought, well... it was never pleasant. Still, it seemed odd that his best friend would go to the trouble of bringing Rosie all the way back home in the middle of the night. It must have been one hell of a row.  
That day, his only responsibility was to get Rose up and ready to go to Snape`s. He'd begun by trying to shift her, so that he himself could get up. Much to his horror, in the process of moving his goddaughter, Remus had caused the sleeve of her pajama top to ride up her arm, revealing a large, hand-shaped bruise forming beneath the fabric of her wrist. Stomach clenching uneasily, he carefully rolled up the sleeve of her other arm and found the same pattern of bruising marring the opposite wrist. His thoughts began to race. It couldn't be… Sirius would never… Remus thought, but the nagging feeling stayed with him. It was in the back of his mind through breakfast and remained there as he helped her pack an overnight bag. He wanted to ask… but he worried that if Sirius had… hurt her whilst they`d been arguing, that she might not want to tell him. That's why Remus resolved to talk to Severus.  
When the hostile man arrived, and Rosie was still upstairs, Remus pulled him to the side. "Severus. There was a problem with Rosie and Sirius last night, and I think you should talk with her about it." He advised.  
The man raised an eyebrow. "Were they not otherwise located?" He inquired coldly.  
"Well, yes… but Sirius brought her home in the middle of the night. I was exhausted, but I heard them shouting. Rose hasn't said a word about it all morning, and Sirius hasn't come out of his room."  
"Is that it…? He sneered, obviously irritated. I was under the impression that their relationship was particularly volatile. I am sure that once again the mutt will crawl back groveling on his knees and Rose will accept him."  
"It is, you're right… I just, and I may be wrong, but I noticed this morning while I was waking Rosie that she has bruises on her arms."  
"Bruises?" Snape's tone hardened.  
"Yes, identical hand-shaped bruises on both wrists. Now, I don't know how they got there, or what happened… but I'm worried that if I ask, she might not tell me the truth."  
"You think it was Black?" The man hissed.  
"No! Not really anyways, I've never known Sirius to be like that… but just in case, I thought maybe it was best for you to talk to her." Snape grunted and went back to ignoring him.  
When Rosie came downstairs the next morning, Severus was already there standing tensely by the fireplace. Moony was making tea. In that moment, Rose wished she had pursued occlumency further. She did not want to talk with her guardian about what'd happened last night, but she knew that Severus would wonder why they'd come home early. Moony was an angel as usual, and even though he was sick as a dog, he had still made her a tea to take along to the potions master's flat and had given her a hug and kiss goodbye.  
"Be careful Moony." She said into his shoulder before he pulled away.  
"Always princess." He nodded, allowing her to pass.  
"Morning Severus." Rosie grinned. The man cocked an eyebrow at her and bowed. "Good morning Rose."  
"What are we doing today?" She asked lightly, permitting him to guide her closer to the fire. "I have some brewing to do for the new term. If you wish, you may watch. You might just learn something. Or, you may feel free to lose your day doing something less educational."  
"Sounds like a blast." Rosie replied, turned to wink at Moony who was smirking.  
The dour man pulled her into the green flames, and they were gone. When they arrived, he moved straight towards the lab and Rose followed. She knew she'd been bored out of her mind if she were left to her own devices, but she really hated potions. Severus was never nice to her when it came to his preferred subject. He frequently told her that she did not possess the natural disposition. She was just lucky that he ignored her in class now. "Make yourself useful cutting the iguana tails for a sleeping draught." He directed when he realized that she had chosen to follow him.  
"Yes, Professor Snape sir!" She giggled. Severus glared at her, unamused. "One quarter inch pieces, and do not skin them."  
"Are you alright Severus?" Rosie asked, using a tone of concerned innocence. Maybe Moony had talked to him about the fight. Her fears were confirmed when he spoke again, even colder this time, from where he was brewing the base for the potion.  
"I heard about what happened… last night." His statement was vague. Rose began to become nervous… He hadn't given her enough information to know what he'd heard. For all Rosie knew, Moony could've talked to Sirius this morning, and he might've told Severus everything.  
"What did you hear?" She asked, and then internally chastised herself. That was the statement of a guilty person.  
"You would make a highly inadequate spy." He noted calmly. "I am awaiting a thorough explanation."  
"Oh Severus, I didn't mean to put myself in danger, it just happened." Rosie whined.  
"Do elaborate." He proceeded icily. Shit. He hadn't known.  
"Erm… I kind of wasn't in the tent when the attack happened, and Sirius might have woken up to find me missing, and then he may have gotten angry with me and dragged me back home at three in the morning."  
Severus stilled. "I see." The man went quiet. The silence was uncomfortable and seemed to stretch on for ages. If there was anything that Rosie hated more than being yelled at it was silence.  
"Please don't be mad at me." She whispered after a long time, depositing the iguana tails in a jar next to him.  
Rose flinched as her guardian turned quickly towards her, his cloak swooping behind him, and grabbed her left wrist. He pulled up the sleeve of her tight top and met her eyes. She groaned and flushed red, realizing what he was on about. Rosie was bruised. "Lupin was concerned that your dogfather did this."  
Her mouth dropped open. "You think that Sirius…? Oh god no. He would never!" She gasped.  
"Take a moment and think very carefully about your response, because, I am reasonably sure that you did not inflict these… injuries upon yourself."  
"They're not injuries Severus, urgh, Sirius had nothing to do with it."  
"Please enlighten me. In what world do you live in in which these hand shaped bruises on your wrists are not considered injuries?" He interrogated, his stance offensive.  
Rose shrunk away from him. "I… allowed it?" She tried meekly. The potions master paused.  
"You allowed what? You allowed someone to bruise your arms?"  
Rosie nodded, looking away.  
Severus' expression faltered, misunderstanding evident in his eyes. "Why… pray tell…?  
She cringed again flushing an even darker shade of crimson. Rose had to think of an excuse. "It was Hermione, she was really nervous during the death eater attack thing and she was holding onto me."  
"You wish for me to believe that Miss. Granger did this?"  
"Yes sir."  
He knew she was lying, she was so terrible at it, but he did not push. Instead, her guardian sighed, long and low, allowing the potion to simmer, and rifled through his stores. Severus applied bruise balm to her wrists, his fingers moving gently across the sensitive skin. Rosie felt ashamed, but she didn't know what she was supposed to do to make this all better. They had finished the day's allotted potions by two in the afternoon and Severus had suggested that they play a game, which was an odd but not unwelcome idea. Her guardian pulled out an old scrabble board from a linen closet and began to set up the pieces.  
"You know I'm going to lose Severus." She stated plainly.  
"Maybe you will learn to supplement your vocabulary." He countered.  
Rosie glared, but it was playful.  
"Severus, you grew up in this house, didn't you?"  
"No. I grew up in London and walked miles every day to play in the children's park with your mother." He was obviously being sarcastic, but Rose laughed and replied,  
"That sounds like something you would do."  
"Indeed." He smirked.  
"What was your family like? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"  
"No. I was an only child."  
"And your parents?" She pushed.  
"They are dead Rose." Severus' voice grew strained.  
Rosie ignored his obvious discomfort and prodded again. "You said your mom was a witch and your dad was a muggle, right? That must have been weird."  
"My father was a drunk. My mother, abused."  
Her eyes widened. "Shit, that sucks."  
"An accurate description." He allowed.  
"But Severus, if your mother was a witch… couldn't she have stopped you know, the abuse?"  
He sighed. "Of course, but there are people Rose who feel as though they deserve to be hurt, so they do nothing, even when they have the power to stop it." Her stomach churned as the potions master eyed her wrists meaningfully. This was not about his mother anymore.  
She needed to find a new subject. "That's why you're such a git then." Rosie blurted out.  
Her guardian raised an eyebrow.  
"I mean, that's why you're such a git, Sir." She added.  
"I am merely strict."  
"More like repressed. When was the last time you went on a date?"  
Severus' eyes widened at her line of questioning. "That is entirely irrelevant."  
"Nuh uh. I've never even seen you speak to a woman on purpose. Except Professor McGonagall."  
"I do not… date, child. Now cease these questions. 'Lumos' is not a word. He added.  
"It's a spell… duh."  
"This is not a Latin scrabble board, we are using english words."  
Rosie growled and rearranged her letters again, this time spelling out the word, 'solemn.'  
"Much better."  
"I don't think Amos Diggory liked me very much." She changed the subject again.  
"Why do you say that?"  
"Well… he yelled at me and asked me if I wanted to trap his son in a teenage pregnancy. Plus, he really hated Sirius."  
"I'm sorry?" Severus' nearly choked.  
"You know, you were like one hundred percent right, Cedric is kinda immature. He didn't even know about the contraceptive spell."  
"That, child, is because he does not place your wellbeing as top priority. If he did, he would have made sure that you were protected."  
"You can't really think that Severus. He's so nice to me. Truly."  
The man frowned. "Nice or good?" He asked, whilst placing the word, 'blithering.'  
It had been a long time since the potions master had asked her that, and it made Rosie stop and think back to his words that morning at the breakfast table talking about Lockhart. "Good question." She hummed unhappily.  
"Sirius took care of it though, he was pretty pissed off. I know you hate him, but Sirius was actually pretty good company, till I fucked it up."  
"Language." He reminded her, arranging the word, "mutt."  
"You chose that word on purpose." Rosie accused him.  
"I don't know what you mean." He teased.  
"Why did you hate the marauders so much Severus? Won't you please tell me? I can handle it… you know. I know that my parents weren't perfect."  
He sighed. "I do not wish to discuss this with you."  
"Please Severus, I want to know them, not just what everyone wants me to know."  
"The marauders were… bullies Rose." Severus admitted slowly.  
Rosie put down the word, 'alone,' and nodded, keeping her eyes trained on the board.  
"Did they bully you?"  
He made an almost inaudible noise that sounded like an affirmation.  
She grimaced. "Even Moony?"  
"No. Lupin was not a bully. Though, he did not do anything to dissuade them either."  
"Oh, thank goodness." She breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Sirius and James though?" Rosie bit her lip and Severus harrumphed. "It is not my intention to create resentment in you towards your father."  
"I know Severus. Thank you… for that."  
He set his letters to form the word, 'conflict.'  
"Can I ask you one more question…? You don't have to answer."  
Severus agreed stiffly.  
"Why did you and my mom stop being friends?" As luck would have it, Rosie had the right letters to form the word, 'lily.'  
The potions master stared at the word for a moment and then broke his silence. "I insulted her very deeply."  
"Oh." Rose's brows furrowed. There were so many more questions brimming under the surface, like, what he'd said to her, and, what did her mom think about Severus joining Voldemort? Or, Why did he join Voldemort in the first place? But she didn't ask. She'd save those for another time.  
In the end, Rosie won the scrabble game, but she knew that he'd let her. He was like that. They'd spent the rest of the afternoon reading, and they took a walk around to her mother's house again. Severus had wanted to cook dinner for her, but Rose stopped him. For once, she wanted to do something right, so she offered to cook. The potions master raised an eyebrow,  
"If your brewing skills are any indication of your cooking ability, perhaps we'd better order takeaway."  
"Hey! That's not fair. I'm a good cook."  
Severus had agreed, but only after she'd given him the look, and then she had ordered him to mash the potatoes. Rose made kidney pie, her favorite, with mashed potatoes and gravy.  
"This is surprisingly flavorful." He commented when they'd sat down to eat.  
"I told you. I'm a good cook." She insisted.  
"Indeed… the question is, why?"  
"I cooked a lot as a little girl."  
"You have not yet answered the question."  
"Aunt Petunia preferred me to do it." Rosie sighed.  
"Interesting… and yet, you arrived at Hogwarts the size of an eight-year-old child."  
She winced. "I've always been skinny."  
"Yes. My point exactly."  
Rosie was able to successfully skirt around that topic as well, and the rest of the night went smoothly. In the morning, she always insisted on leaving early to take care of Moony. It horrified her to see him so weak. When Severus had dropped her off, her godfather had been trying unsuccessfully to change into pajamas. He blushed furiously at Rose's attempt to aid him, but he let her anyways.  
"Honey, you don't have to…"  
"I want to help Moony." She was already dreading her return to Hogwarts. Sirius was still asleep, as usual, so Rosie made a breakfast for two, and left a third portion under a heating charm. "Does he still hate me?" She asked quietly, motioning towards the empty chair.  
"Oh, my love, he never hates you. He just doesn't always understand."  
"We had an awesome time, until the night… It felt really nice, like we could be friends if we weren't both such assholes."  
"Yeah, that's kind of what he said too sweetheart. He didn't tell me much, just that you risked your life to run off and do something stupid."  
"An accurate description." Rosie said, copying Severus' words to her.  
"Did Severus talk to you about…?" Moony winced, looking towards her wrists.  
"Yeah, he did. It wasn't Siri. You know he would never. We're not that bad." She reassured. "See? Good as new." Rose rolled up her sleeves to show him the healed skin.  
The werewolf let out a sigh of relief, but then frowned. "What happened sweetie?"  
"I don't wanna talk about it Moony, really, I'm fine."  
Luckily, in that moment, Sirius chose to make his appearance. The man made a beeline for her and scooped her up into a tight hug. "I'm sorry for yelling at you Prongslet." He grumbled into her ear.  
Rosie took a deep breath, accepting the affection. "I'm sorry for being weak, unstable, incredibly stupid, and for scaring you to death."  
After that, things went on as normal, and with September approaching fast, Rose was trying to make the most of every moment. This was after all, the first summer she'd ever spent with her new, dysfunctional family.


	59. Chapter 59

On the morning that Rosie was to return to Hogwarts, she woke up feeling sick to her stomach. She felt like a little girl afraid to leave her mother behind, only it wasn't her mother. It was Moony. Rose was quite well aware that her guardian would get on fine without her. Afterall, he'd done it for long enough, but that was the keyword, fine, not well. It did help that Sirius was living with them, Rosie definitely didn't regret that decision. She knew he'd step up and make sure that Moony got through his transformation alright and had company, but her heart still ached at the thought of not seeing him until Christmas. Rosie had never been forced to miss anyone before. Not really. Her parents had died before she could even form memories. This was her first, long overdue bout of separation anxiety. She fought the tears all morning, through breakfast. Moony had helped her pack her trunk. It wasn't until the three of them arrived at King's Cross Station that Rose's emotions came to a head. Other students, much younger than her were boarding the train without so much as looking back towards their parents and here she was going to lose control because she was about to say goodbye to her legal guardian.  
Moony, who had been incredibly quiet that morning breathed deeply and closed his eyes. He tried to shoot her a small smile, but it came out more like a grimace. It was Sirius who broke the tension.  
"I'm gonna miss you kid." He frowned.  
That was the straw that broke her. Rosie gasped, her whole body reacting to the weight of the moment. "I don't want to go!" She burst, throwing herself at Moony who caught her and held on tight.  
"Oh honey. I know princess. I know." He tried to soothe her but his voice broke. "But you have to go to school. You be good. Listen to Severus and write. Write a lot." There were tears in his eyes.  
"You be careful." Rosie pleaded. "Please."  
"Sirius, make sure Moony's careful." She turned to the man. He winked and nodded.  
"And you…" She addressed Siri now. "Do not hide away in your room. Get out of bed and be human, got it? Be with each other, keep each other company."  
Rose could barely finish the sentence. She pulled Sirius into a hug, and then Moony, who could not resist, put his arms around both of them and they all had a good cry. After a longer than normal amount of time, someone cleared their throat from behind the three of them. They pulled apart, and Rosie turned around to find Cedric waiting for her, head boy badge pinned to his robes. He winced when he saw her tear streaked face and Rose was hit again with a wave of crushing guilt, as she typically felt now in the presence of her boyfriend. She hadn't so much as spoken to the boy since the world cup, only writing to give him a brief and untrue story about why she'd left early.  
"Sorry guys, take your time." He allowed. Moony seemed to draw strength from somewhere in that moment because he straightened his shoulders, clasped a hand around Sirius' arm, leaning in to plant one more kiss on her cheek, and said,  
"Alright Rosie, we'll see you soon. I love you."  
Taking a deep breath, she nodded and said, "I love you too."  
It would have been unbearable had they lingered any longer, and Moony knew this, so he clutched Sirius' arm tighter and apparated them away with a final pop. Rosie who was still feeling weepy, turned to Cedric with a watery smile and allowed him to embrace her. "It'll be alright Rose." He tried to comfort her. They moved onto the train together and he helped her find the compartment that contained Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. Ced had to lead the prefects' meeting, so he kissed her goodbye and left her, still crying with Ginny. Her friend, who was used to Rosie's excessive emotions, just held her and stroked her hair. Ron and Hermione were accustomed to letting Ginny deal with her now.  
"Oh Gin. I've just… never had a family to miss when I'm away." She cried. "The summer was too short."  
"I know Rosie, I know, but hey, it will only make it that much nicer of a Christmas, right? And you know that Sirius will make sure that Professor Lupin is ok."  
"I know, but sometimes Sirius forgets to make sure that Sirius is ok, and I don't know what they'll do if I don't make them breakfast in the morning." She sobbed.  
"Maybe if it gets really hard you can ask Professor Snape to let you floo home and visit sometimes. You know he's always letting you get away with stuff."  
Rosie nodded. That was a good idea. She would ask him. When she had calmed down, Ginny had decided to go off in search of Dean, who was not her official boyfriend yet, but was pretty close to it. Rose was stuck being the third wheel with Ron and Hermione who hadn't seen each other since the world cup. Resolving to go off and search for Cedric, she walked up and down the aisles of the train until she came across the prefects' compartment. Rosie was about to enter, but what she saw stopped her dead in her tracks. The meeting was obviously over, and Ced was still inside. He was sitting next to a pretty Hufflepuff girl who was wearing a head girl badge. The girl was cute. She had blonde hair and that 'kissed by the sun' looking sheen to her skin. Maybe one of those girls who spent summers in Mallorca with her friends. She looked like somebody who was happy all the time. Rose wouldn't have paid her appearance so much attention had she not had her hand resting on Cedric's bicep as they spoke, throwing her head back to laugh at something he'd said. Jealously curled around her stomach like a vice, but she quickly squashed it. Rosie had no right to feel jealous of anything that Ced did, not anymore, but she couldn't help it. This was the head girl. This was the girl that her boyfriend would be spending so much time with for the next two years. Malfoy meant nothing to Rose, but this girl, she could grow to mean something to Cedric. Having had enough, she decided to make herself known. Knocking lightly on the glass, the noise made Ced turned around, a grin breaking out across his face. He nudged the other girl and motioned towards Rosie, coming over to open the compartment.  
"Rose! You're not crying anymore." He greeted her enthusiastically, taking her into his arms and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.  
"Yeah, Ginny knocked some sense into me." She replied.  
"Hey, Rose, I want you to meet Meadow. He pointed at the pretty Hufflepuff. She's the new head girl. Meadow, this is my girlfriend Rose."  
The head girl beamed down at her. "Hi Rose! It's so nice to finally meet you! Cedric here's told me so much about you. I've read about you of course, this summer in the paper. I have to say, what you did was so brave. I can't believe we had such a sick man as a teacher for so long!" She gushed. Rosie flinched. She wanted to hide under a rock.  
"Nice to meet you." Rosie said curtly.  
Meadow's smiled never faltered, and she winked at Rose as they were sharing a secret. "I'll leave you two to catch up! See you around Ced." With that, the girl left the compartment.  
"Who needs a patronus with her around." Rosie started when Meadow had gone, raising an eyebrow.  
"Yeah she's great." Cedric smiled, but his attention was elsewhere. The boy seemed to drink in the sight of her, his eyes caressing her body. "I've really missed you Rose. The summer was way too long. I hope my dad didn't bother you too much at the cup. He's just protective since my mom…"  
She cringed internally at the memory but tried to smile. "Don't worry about it Ced, I understand." Severus' words replayed over in her mind.  
He moved closer now, checking over his shoulder to make sure nobody was passing by, and then trailed his hand up her spine from her tailbone to the nape of her neck. "You're more beautiful every time I see you." He whispered in her ear. Leaning forward, Cedric pressed his mouth against hers, his tongue running across the line between her lips, searching for access. Rose gave it to him and tried very hard to lose herself in his presence, in his touch, but her stomach turned in knots. Why could she never remember how sweet he was and how much he adored her when Malfoy was around? Why couldn't this be enough? The effort was futile. Rosie just couldn't get into it. Pulling away, she winked.  
"Well Mr. Head boy. Aren't we feeling sly this morning?" The boy did not catch the reluctance in her tone, and instead, pulled back beaming. "Only for you." He replied. Rose could feel the dagger of guilt twist itself inside of her and she had to pull back to prevent the blood from spilling. The rest of the train journey went as normal. Cedric joined her again in the compartment with Ron and Hermione, and Ginny dragged Dean in with them when they got closer to the station.  
That evening at the sorting feast, Rosie finally understood what it was that Severus had been keeping a secret from her, and why he told her not to bring her broom this year. She obviously hadn't listened. It was a firebolt after all. Quidditch was cancelled, and in its place, Hogwarts would be hosting the Triwizard Tournament for the first time in a century. Students from Beauxbaton School in France, and Durmstang in the north would be coming to stay, and there would be a champion selected from every school to compete. Rosie couldn't help but feel disillusioned. She had been looking forward to playing quidditch with her new broom. Ron seemed pretty excited about the tournament, and Fred and George were already scheming to try and hoodwink the age line that Dumbledore had mentioned. Rosie looked up to the staff table and caught Severus' eye, smiling. His face stayed neutral until she looked away. He was so affectionate, she thought sarcastically. Next to Severus sat a horrifically ugly man with a cane stick and a fake eye. The man had been introduced as Professor Moody, their new defense teacher. He was an auror, but he kind of looked like an evil henchman. Rose remembered sneaking Dudley's abandoned cartoons and comic books, placing the Professor Moody among the pages. Maybe she was just bitter because it was Moody and not Moony. The man seemed to be muttering to himself, or perhaps to his food. How disappointing Rosie thought to herself, her inner narration taking the form of Severus' teacher drawl. She made a quick mental note to send a letter to Sirius specifically to complain about the lack of sport that year. He would be sympathetic.


	60. Chapter 60

Dear Moony,   
It's been like two days and I am already missing you so much. Class is boring. Severus is being a git in potions as usual. I don't know, I guess I just don't have the ability. My mom did, so that kind of sucks. You know, I'm not really very good at any subjects, except maybe arithmancy, but really, what can I use that for? We have this new defense professor, and I am so dreading classes with him this afternoon. His name is Moody. Maybe you know him. I'm trying not to judge him by his appearance, but right now he appears completely mad. I'm enjoying seeing my friends, but Ron and Hermione are gross, and Mione keeps asking me for sex tips. I just don't want to think about her and Ron… nevermind. Ginny is with Dean now, sort of. They both want to be together but haven't said. I like Dean, even if he is a little too much like Ron. Is there an Oedipus complex for brothers? I wouldn't know. Cedric is fine. He makes a dashing head boy, but he's gone on his rounds so much that I don't get to see him as often, not much for broom closet rendezvous on my end, yet anyways. I've spent the last two days smiling politely as all my classmates make their opinion known about my trial. Everyone has been really supportive, but I HATE talking about it. I would just rather that everyone forgets…like now. Professor McGonagall was the worst. She pulled me aside after transfiguration yesterday and it looked like she was gonna cry, apologizing and such for not noticing. Urgh. It was really hard to have that talk. She is a great professor; too bad I have none of James' transfiguration ability. Are you sure I wasn't switched at birth or something? Anyways, I'll write again soon. I love you Moony.   
Yours,   
Rosie.   
This next part is for Sirius, Moony do not read past here. It's PRIVATE.   
Sirius,   
They are having a bloody Triwizard tournament here at Hogwarts this year. Do you know what that means? NO quidditch. I am so pissed off. I have a bigger problem though, and you can't tell Moony about this one. I can't even look my stupid boyfriend in the eyes. I feel so damn guilty Siri. I don't know what to do. Should I break up with him? He's being so sweet and it's killing me. There is obviously something wrong with me. How can I move past it and forget? I haven't so much as seen Malfoy since the cup thank Merlin, but it's like every time he kisses me, or… you know, I just can't focus. All I can think about is that stupid Slytherin git. Please help. Also please take care of Moony, and yourself.   
Love Prongslet.   
Rosie put the quill down and sighed. It was almost time for defense, and she had to rush up to the owlery to send the letter. Otherwise, she'd have to include a part at the end about how the class went. Rose trusted Moony not to read Sirius' part of the letter, he was the most honest person she knew. Mione had decided to come with her to the owlery, wanting to mail off an order for some new book that was coming out. The pair walked to class together afterwards and sat behind Ron and Dean. The class was with the Slytherins, and Rosie could feel Malfoy's presence behind her, but she didn't look.  
From the moment that Professor Moody opened his mouth, Rosie hated him. He was foul and uncaring and cruel. The class began with an introduction, but it was short.  
"My name is Alastor Moody. I have been an auror longer than you or you parents have been alive. I understand that you have received some… less that quality defense education as of the last few years, and I am here to change that. Let's begin. Name one thing you learned from Professor Quirrell?"  
Dean raised his hand. Moody nodded in his direction. "He taught us mainly about the ethics of defense and when we should and shouldn't use defensive magic. It wasn't a very practical class."  
"Exactly. Yes. Good. How about Professor Lockhart?"  
The class went silent. Rosie froze. Nobody dared raise their hand, and several pairs of eyes turned around to linger on her. After a few moments, Hermione raised her hand slowly. When Moody called on her, her friend's voice rang through the tense room.  
"He didn't teach us anything Sir."  
Moody cleared his throat and spat on the floor. "I beg to differ Miss Granger. Gilderoy Lockhart taught you the importance of constant vigilance. The importance of trusting your bloody instincts instead of suppressing them."  
Rose flinched. That felt like a slight against her for letting it go on for so long. Now everyone was staring. Hermione gripped her arm tightly and to Rosie's immense surprise, Ron slammed his hand down on the desk he shared with Dean.  
"It wasn't her fault professor." He growled. She let out a soft squeak of discomfort, her face flushing. "Yeah, you shouldn't speak like that Sir." Dean added.  
Moody just grumbled something and moved onto the next question. Rosie felt a pang a gratitude towards Ron and Dean. She hadn't been expecting that. "What did Snape teach you?"  
A Slytherin girl answered from behind. "He taught us mainly shields."  
Moody seemed to snort in displeasure. "And Lupin?"  
Dean piped up from in front of them. "We learned about all sorts of dark creatures and how to defeat them."  
Moody seemed more pleased with Moony than anyone else. Next, he moved onto lecturing about how he was the only wizard capable of teaching them, and how his method would prepare them for the real world. Apparently, preparing them for the real world would including making sure that they were sufficiently traumatized. Moody said that he wanted to demonstrate to them the types of curses that they would be faced with in the event of an encounter with a dark witch or wizard. Butterflies fluttered in Rosie's stomach when the man transfigured three small spiders and contained them in a jar.  
"We are going to be discussing unforgivable curses." He began. "But first, which of you can tell me how many unforgivable curses there are? "  
Hermione raised her hand. "Three, sir. "  
"And they are so named? "  
"Because they are unforgivable. The use of any one of them will..."  
"Earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban. Correct Miss Granger."  
"Now, who can name one?" Moody prodded nastily.  
Rosie shivered as Malfoy's voice rung through the room. "The Imperius Curse."  
"Yes… good. You would be familiar with that one Mr. Malfoy."  
Ron sniggered and Rosie sighed. Lucius Malfoy, she knew, had used the excuse of the Imperius Curse to get out of jail time when he was brought to trial after the first war. She knew now that he had been lying. Then, Moody did something shocking. He lifted his wand and levitated one of the spiders out of the jar, placing it in front of himself on the desk and enlarged it. Then, he cast,  
"Imperio!"  
Rosie's breath caught as the spider stilled. The professor made it do a dance and several people laughed, but she didn't. That could be a person. There was nothing funny about messing with people's minds in her opinion. When Moody moved onto the Cruciatus Curse, Rose was already feeling sick as she predicted what he was about to do. The next spider writhed in front of the class, which had stopped laughing. She couldn't watch, turning her head into Hermione's shoulder.  
"Who knows the last one?" Moody asked again. His voice was oddly manic.  
Rosie shivered, moving her gaze to the front of the classroom once again.  
"The Killing Curse." Some unknown Slytherin from the back piped up.  
"Yes. The Killing Curse. Disconnects the soul from the body. The only result is death. There are no counter curses, and no shield strong enough to protect against it. In fact, there is only one known survivor, and she is sitting right here in this room."  
Once again, all eyes were on her and Rosie tried to move her hair so if covered her scar. She didn't want everyone focusing so intently on her face. Then, without so much as a warning, Moody turned to the spider and cast,  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
A flash of green light burst from his wand, and Rosie recoiled. She let out an involuntary shriek. The spider was dead, instantly, but Rose wasn't in the classroom anymore. She was in her nursery, in the crib as she watched her mother's body fall to the floor. Her scar ached with the memory of the blinding green light being turned onto her. Unfortunately, Rosie's shriek had been audible, and if there had been anyone who wasn't looking at her, that had changed. Hermione kept her hand pressed against Rose's back in support. Moody was just watching her, not reacting, not offering to shut the hell up or moving on with the lesson. Oh, she despised him. When he finally dismissed them, Rosie was trembling. She could feel the tension building within her system, and although she hadn't had an uncontrolled outburst in a while, she felt like she might have one now.  
Hermione had called after her, but Rose had taken off quickly and had rushed towards the dungeons, not even bothering to knock as she entered the potion's office. Severus was, as usual, just sitting at his desk reading. If she had been feeling better, she might have thought to tease him for being an insufferable nerd. He looked up to meet her gaze when Rose entered and he could tell right away that she wasn't well, motioning to the couch. Rosie sat down, wringing her hands together and he moved to sit in front of her.  
"What happened?" The potions master demanded.  
"I hate him! I HATE him so much!" Rose lost it. Her hand slammed onto the fabric of the couch and the pictures on the walls shook, the desk rocking backwards. Severus reached forward and held her still, trapping her wrists lightly in his hands.  
"Child. Calm yourself. Take control of your emotions. Occlude."  
Rosie tried. She tried to clear her mind, tried to build the walls around the memory of the defense class and shut it away. When her body had stopped trembling and the room had stopped shaking, Severus spoke again.  
"Who is it that has earned your hatred?" He asked.  
"Professor Moody!" Rosie sighed in frustration. "He's so mean. He's worse than you were. He brought up stupid Lockhart and lectured the whole class on trusting your instincts, and everyone was staring at me, and then he showed us the unforgivable curses and it scared me and…" Everything spilled out at once.  
"There there." Severus place a hand on her back. "Be calm Rose. You are safe."  
"I should've come to you sooner. I shouldn't have waited so long. I should've…"  
"There is no room in your life for should haves Rose. What's done is done, and you cannot place any semblance of blame on yourself. You were twelve years old."  
"I… know, but Moody said…"  
"I do not care what that ridiculous excuse for an auror has told you."  
Rosie nodded and leaned her head into his chest. They were silent for a few minutes, and then she spoke again, her voice stronger.  
"Severus… what does it feel like to cast an unforgivable curse?" She looked up at him.  
Her professor froze. Rosie thought he might have stopped breathing. "Which one?" He asked, his tone wary.  
"I don't know…which ones have you cast?"  
Her guardian let out his breath. Rose knew that he didn't want to tell her.  
"All of them?" She asked again, her voice smaller now.  
Severus nodded and her stomach lurched. "Are they hard to cast?"  
"Immensely." He responded. "Not everyone can manage it. For example, if you were to stand up and cast the Killing Curse at me right now, I doubt I would end with so much as a nosebleed."  
"Why?"  
"The… intent has to be present. In the case of the Cruciatus Curse, the castor must be in the possession of intense hatred for the victim. This is the same for the Killing Curse. I do not believe that you possess this ability."  
Rosie shuddered as her mind called forth images of Severus' face etched in hatred casting the unforgivables.  
"So… Voldemort loathed me so much that he was able to cast the Killing Curse on me? How can you hate a baby?"  
Severus winced at the use of Voldemort's name and then sighed. "The Dark Lord no longer needed to hate an individual specifically in order to cast the unforgivables. He was able to draw from a store of it as he was not capable of many other emotions."  
"Did… erm, the Dark Lord ever cast any of them on you?"  
"I was not under the Imperius Curse if that is what you are asking. Anything I did was of my own free will."  
"No, no, that's not what I meant. I mean, did he cast the torture one on you? The Cruciatus." She clarified. Rosie knew he had joined on his own.  
"Many a time." Severus seemed to shiver as he spoke.  
"Is it really horrible?"  
"Indeed. It is… excruciating."  
"I couldn't look when Moody was doing it to the spider." Rose admitted weakly. Severus pulled her closer in an uncharacteristic display of affection and rested his chin on the top of her head. "Stay this way child." He exhaled. "Never let it become easy to look."


	61. Chapter 61

Dearest Rosie,  
I am missing you terribly as well. The house is too quiet without you around. In fact, I am thinking of looking for a job in the village. I'm trying to think of an activity for Sirius to do so that he feels more productive. If you have any ideas let me know. We both know that a job is not in his near future. I'm sorry that you don't like potions, but I'm sure that Severus doesn't mean to make you feel bad, why don't you talk to him about it? It is true that your mother excelled in potions and your father in transfiguration, but I am one hundred percent certain that you are their daughter, no hospital mix ups. You are allowed to be your own person. I might wager a guess that your struggle with school subjects might be due to the difficulties that you've faced in the past couple years and has no bearing on your true talent. I have included below a list of fields in which arithmancy is useful.   
As for your friends, I hope you are trying to tolerate them. It is important to keep your friends close, even if they do ask you about sex. Just remember, they are only curious. You would not believe the things that your father and Sirius have told me over the years. I'm glad that Cedric is well. You know, James was the head boy in our year. As it stands, I do not think the Oedipus complex applies to brothers; however, it may stem from a similar desire for protection from one's partner that can come from a father, or perhaps an older brother as well.   
I have allowed Sirius to answer your question about Moody as he knows him better than I, having been an auror. They worked together for a time. I wish I could make it easier on you, with your classmates and professors, but just know that in time it will die down and things will go on as normal. For now, stay strong princess.   
PS- Please do not try and enter the Triwizard Tournament. I would rather like to keep my sanity this year.   
All my love,   
Moony.   
Rosie smiled as she read through Moony's well-crafted letter, but she felt the familiar ache in her chest, the anxiety that came from being far away from someone you love. In the same envelope as Moony's letter came a shorter one addressed from Sirius.  
Prongslet, that really blows about quidditch. You'd think they'd do both, but don't worry, we can go flying over the holidays if you want. Listen honey, about your question… All I really have to say is that you, sweet, caring, perfect Rosie, are not cut out for this infidelity thing. I'm not judging you, I just think that maybe you're in over your head. I don't know what it is about that wretched Malfoy kid that makes you go after him and I probably don't wanna know, but you have got to decide. Do you want to be with Diggory, or do you want to keep chasing after the death eater spawn? The guilt is eating at you because you're not an asshole. The longer you drag this out the worse you're gonna feel, so try to decide quick. Either way, you know I don't give a shit what you do to any of your dickhead boyfriends, I love you anyways. We sure miss you around here.   
PS- Stay away from Moody. He's not dark or anything but he's a lunatic. Don't take what he says to heart.   
Sirius.   
Rosie closed her eyes. Deep down she knew that Sirius was right, but she didn't know what to do to end this. It wasn't like she was meeting Malfoy all the time, it was random. She didn't even know if it would ever happen again. Her thoughts were interrupted by Cedric who came walking happily towards her… with Meadow. Quickly tucking the letter away, she moved to welcome him.  
"Rose! I have a surprise." The boy started, smiling.  
She tried to smile back, raising an eyebrow and greeting him with a chaste kiss. "What is it?"  
"Well… you know I turned seventeen this summer…"  
Rosie nodded, puzzled. Meadow seemed to be squirming with excitement. She wanted to put the blonde girl in a body bind. The boy seemed to glow as he spoke. "I'm going to enter the Triwizard Tournament!" He exclaimed, grabbing Rosie by the shoulders and beaming down at her. She stiffened.  
Her eyes widened. "You're what?" Rose hissed. Visions of Cedric dead on the ground from some sort of horrible attack littered her mind as she recoiled.  
"I said, I'm…"  
"I heard you." She snapped. "You have got to be kidding Ced. You're gonna get yourself hurt." Rosie tried to stay calm, her face contorting with anxiety.  
Her boyfriend's face fell. "Rose… I thought you'd be excited for me." He tried softly.  
"Excited? God Ced, you… why would you want to put yourself in danger like that on purpose?"  
Much to Rosie's chagrin, the irritating patronus girl piped up from behind him. "You know, it will be a heavily supervised event. I'm sure they won't let any harm actually come to the champions." She condescended. Rose glared.  
"Well. I'm sorry for wanting my boyfriend ALIVE this year." Her voice rose an octave, her tone pinched. Cedric was wearing a hurt puppy looked that rivalled Sirius' and Rosie could not take it. She was not going to stand here and agree that he should enter into a stupid competition where his life may be in danger. Maybe she was selfish, but Rose didn't care. Huffing loudly, she spun on her heels and moved to leave, but Ced caught her arm from behind.  
"Rose. Wait. Can we just talk about this?" He asked.  
Rosie sighed, but allowed him to drag her away, leaving the blasted head girl behind in the great hall. At least she could be thankful for that. He pulled her into a broom closet and frowned.  
"Rose, I don't know if it's that your worried for me, or you're scared I'll get hurt, but I promise I'll be careful I just… really want to enjoy these next two years. You know, when I graduate my dad is gonna line me up some stuffy old ministry job and I'm gonna be stuck at a desk all day every day."  
She exhaled long and low. "Oh Ced, I don't want to kill your fun… I…ugh. Just promise me you'll be careful." Rosie 's heart sank. She'd lost this one.  
"You know I will." He replied. "I'm not a Gryffindor." His tone was teasing.  
Scoffing lightly, Rose tried to plaster a small smile on her face. Cedric seemed to take that as a sign that she was happy now, which she wasn't, but he moved forward anyways, trapping her in a kiss. It was obvious what he wanted, and honestly, Rosie did not want to have sex. Not in general, and definitely not to celebrate her boyfriend's induction into a dangerous game. The problem was that Rose didn't know how to say no in that moment. So, she didn't say anything. It was clear that Ced needed this to feel better, and she didn't want to cause any more tension than there already was. So, she let him. She shut her eyes and tried not to tense her body up too much as he entered her. Rosie wasn't into it and it hurt as she tried to stretch to accommodate him, straining to imagine that she was elsewhere. This was the first time that she'd done this… and it did not feel good. She felt like she was lying to the boy, and she felt like her body, or perhaps it was her mind would be upset with her later. Rose cursed herself for not knowing how to diffuse the situation without making Cedric upset. This is why she needed a mom.  
When he was done, Rosie sighed with relief. She pulled him into a long hug so that she had time to relax her face, and then pulled away, fixing her uniform skirt.  
"You're so gorgeous Rose." Ced began, caressing her cheek, but she didn't feel gorgeous. He took her chin lightly in his fingertips and brought his face close.  
"I'll be careful. I promise."  
Rosie nodded and then made an excuse, leaving him behind in the broom closet. He did not deserve this. She wasn't sure where she was going but she ended up in the dungeons. She'd probably been gravitating towards Severus' office, but Rose changed her mind and doubled back. He wouldn't be happy with her. Just as she had turned to leave, Rosie felt a hand come down to clamp on her shoulder. Whirling around, her breath hitched as she came face to face with Goyle, who towered over her. Crabbe flanked him, but Malfoy was nowhere in sight.  
"Hey Potter, down here practicing your constant vigilance?" He started.  
"Yeah, what are your instincts telling you now?" Crabbe added crudely.  
"Get out of my way." Rosie tried to raise her voice and move forward.  
"Fine we'll leave, just tell us what it was like… fucking your professor that is."  
Rosie was just about to take off for Severus' office again to escape but another voice interjected.  
"Leave this one to me Goyle." Malfoy moved forward. The two bigger boys grunted and backed off her. "Go tell Pansy I'll be late." He ordered, and Crabbe and Goyle scampered off.  
"Potter."  
"Malfoy."  
"What are you doing down here?"  
"Nothing. Thanks for that." She grimaced, nodding towards where the two oafs had left from.  
"Yeah, they get a bit overzealous." He offered awkwardly. This was the most civil conversation they'd ever had. Malfoy hadn't cursed once. It obviously couldn't last. The boy began to move closer, his face falling into the same predatory look as the night in the woods. His fingers came up to clasp around her wrists and before Rosie could even blink, he had her pressed against the wall of the now empty corridor. When his hands moved to her body, she stilled.  
"Malfoy, don't." Rose could almost feel the fear flood her face.  
The boy appraised her expression for a moment and then let go. "Relax Potter, I'm not going to force you."  
Rosie sighed and let her head fall. "Thanks."  
"Thanks?" He scoffed. "You are messed up."  
She glared at him. "I can't keep doing this Malfoy. I can't do this to Cedric, he doesn't deserve it."  
The boy shrugged. "You started it."  
"I know, but I was drunk off my rocker and scared and selfish and you were there."  
"And at the cup?"  
"Fuck Malfoy. You just, urgh. You're so frustrating. What do you even want from me?"  
"Isn't it obvious?" He raised an eyebrow.  
"Yeah. I get it, you want sex, but I can't be doing this. Ced would be devastated."  
"I told you. Nobody will find out." Malfoy growled, pushing her back up against the wall, hands on her waist.  
"You've got some serious control issues Malfoy."  
"Says the girl who gets her rocks off being held down."  
"Screw you. It's because you're scared shitless of your daddy isn't it?"  
"Least I don't want to fuck mine." He retorted.  
Rosie let out a hysterical laugh. "You're such a jackass."  
A smirk broke out across the boy's face. "Yeah well you're not as sweet as everyone thinks you are Potter."  
"And maybe you're not as callous as you come across." She pushed his chest, and he stepped off her. "I'm still not sleeping with you anymore."  
"Fine, run back to your Hufflepuff, but when you need to get off, I'll be here." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.  
Rosie shook her head, and turned around, "Get bent Malfoy." The boy reached forward and pinched her side from behind just as Severus turned the corner into that same corridor. Rose, who hadn't noticed, slapped his hand away and snarled.  
Her guardian, in full Professor Snape mode, raised an eyebrow at the interaction. "Mr. Malfoy. Detention."  
Rosie wanted to laugh, but she stifled it. "Professor Snape Sir, It's fine. Malfoy didn't do anything. Promise." She said, her eyes flashing with mirth.  
A strange look crossed his face, and he stared at Malfoy. "Tomorrow night, seven o'clock."  
The Slytherin boy just put his hands up in surrender. "Yes Sir."  
Malfoy walked away after that, leaving her and Severus alone in the hall. Rosie had to admit, the interaction between her and the Slytherin boy had made her feel better after what had happened with Cedric. The potions master did not seem impressed.  
"What did I just witness?" He asked coldly.  
"Severus, it was nothing, honest. He was just being a git as usual, I dealt it out just as bad. You just didn't come around the corner for that."  
"Stay away from Draco Malfoy. He'll only try to bait you child."  
"I know Sir. I will." She promised.  
"Why are you skulking around down here?"  
"Oh, I was looking for you. I just needed a hug."  
"You needed a hug?"  
Rosie nodded, moving forward and wrapping her arms around Severus' torso tightly. He allowed her to and held her to him. That helped. She was already feeling a lot calmer. Rose loved Severus.  
As hard as she tried, Rosie just couldn't put her anxiety aside when it came to Cedric and the tournament. It wasn't even a given that he'd be picked, there were a handful of students who'd decided to put their names in, but she was still a wreck. Dread had curled around her like the chill of a dementor that day that the prospective champions from the other schools had arrived. It was quite the affair, and Ced was glowing with excitement, so she had had to pretend, but really, the only positive thing to come out of the foreign arrivals had been the chance to ogle Viktor Krum up close. When the goblet was placed in the center of the great hall for the first time, Rose accompanied Ced as he bypassed the age line with ease and tossed his name in. That had been it. It was done. Things began to get a bit better after that, once it was final. Rosie could no longer change the boy's mind, so she just had to come to terms with the idea. It made it easier in the end to be more optimistic. She was finally able to have sex with him again. They'd taken a long break from that after the incident in the broom closet. Rose never told Ced that she hadn't wanted to, but he could tell that something was up. Malfoy had made himself scarce. They hadn't spoken since their last conversation, and it was starting to feel as though it had all been a dream.  
Moony had written to say that he'd found a job in a supermarket in the muggle village near his flat. Rosie had been happy to hear that, but sad at the same time, wishing that her guardian could be seen for his talents, and could be accepted in a magical company. He'd still been unable to convince Sirius to take up a hobby. Halloween approached quickly, and as the decorations began to go up, and the air became cooler, the chill lingered under her skin. Something big was coming. She just didn't quite know yet what it was.


	62. Chapter 62

Rosie was irate. "Severus. Please. You have to let me see him. I NEED to speak with him."  
"Rose. Surely, the matter is not so urgent that a letter would not suffice."  
"Pleeeease." She whined. "I'm begging you. It's an emergency."  
"If there is indeed an emergency, I am sure that your intent would not be to withhold it from me girl."  
"No, urgh. Severus it's not that type of emergency. Just, please. For me." Rosie stared up at him pleadingly, using her Lily eyes as a weapon.  
She knew it was working because the potions master had to close his own eyes, the 'dead parents' expression washing over him. "You have half an hour." He sighed. "Do not test me."  
"Oh Severus, you're the best."  
With her permission granted, Rose took a handful of the chalky powder and tossed it into the flames, heading for Moony's flat. However, she knew that Moony was working. Rosie was looking for Sirius. Padfoot was sound asleep on the couch in the middle of the sitting room despite the fact that they were already late into afternoon. Her favorite dog jolted awake when she landed gracelessly, as usual on the floor in front of him. He quickly transformed.  
"Prongslet? What are you doing here?" He questioned, a smile breaking out over his face. Sirius offered out a hand to help her up. The smiled died on his lips when he took in her expression of discontent. "Is everything ok?"  
"Siri. Thank goodness you're here. I need your help, but I only have half an hour to explain or Severus is going to kill me."  
"You need my help? Are you sure you don't want me to go track down Remus? The store's not that far from here…"  
"No! … please, you have to keep it a secret. You can't tell Moony."  
He frowned. "Is it one of your erm, boyfriends? Did something happen?"  
She shook her head. "No, it's not that… I need you to do something for me, and it's something really serious, and you're not gonna want to do it but I need you to." Her voice broke.  
Sirius' eyes widened in horror as a few stray tears rolled down her cheeks. "Rosie, honey, please don't cry. What's going on? You can tell me." The man put his hand on her arm, leaning down so that his eyes met hers.  
"Ineedyoutoteachmetoresisttheimperiuscurse." She said all at once and his brows furrowed.  
"Woah woah woah. You've gotta speak slower than that sweetheart."  
Rosie groaned, her face flushing.  
"Hey, I'm not gonna bite you." Sirius reassured smoothly. "Whatever you need, tell me."  
"I need you… to teach me to fight off the Imperius Curse." Rosie tried again.  
His face flickered in surprise. "What?"  
"I need you to like… cast the curse on me until I learn to resist."  
Siri cringed. "Honey, no way. Not that. No. I could never...Not to you."  
He faltered when her face crumpled. "Siri, please. I… can't risk it, I can't, I don't want anyone messing with my mind, not again. You have to help me. Severus would never agree, and I doubt Moony even could cast it. I know that the aurors were given special permission during the war to use the unforgivables, so you must know how. It has to be you."  
"Yeah, Rose, I can cast it, but where did this fear come from all of a sudden? Who are you so afraid of?"  
"It's Moody." She cried. "He's been casting it on us in class, showing us what it feels like, and I can't fight it. I can't. I just do whatever he says."  
"He cast the Imperius Curse on you?" Sirius clarified, disbelief evident in his tone. She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut.  
"It feels so wrong… it feels like, before, you know, with the memory charms."  
The man pursed his lips into a thin line, his brows knitting together like what she'd said had made him uncomfortable.  
"Sirius, you have to help me. We all know that Voldemort's gonna come back, and I can't let him… or anyone have that kind of power over me. Please do this."  
Her ex-godfather sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, the stress that she was causing him apparent. After a moment of tense silence, Siri gave her an answer.  
"You know I can't bloody refuse you."  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Rosie's body sagged in relief. Her arms wrapping around the man's neck. Sirius, who always took full advantage of any opportunity to hug her, allowed Rose to express her gratitude. He ran a hand through her hair affectionately.  
"Rose, you know that most adults can't throw off the curse right? I sure as hell can't."  
"I have to try." She sighed into his shoulder and he nodded.  
"I wish I didn't have to go." Rosie breathed, "but Severus didn't even want to give me half and hour."  
"I know, it really sucks without you here, but it's gonna be such a good Christmas Rosie, you'll see." He smiled. "That's all Remus talks about."  
"Maybe could you… not tell Moony I was here? I don't want him to be upset that he wasn't."  
"Of course. Our secret Prongslet. Just… let me know when and where for the lessons." He added, frowning again. She could tell that he really did not want to do this.  
Returning to the fire, she shot Sirius one last grin and stepped inside. Severus was still in his office. He looked up when Rose entered and cocked an eyebrow.  
"Did you resolve the emergency?" He drawled.  
"Yes sir."  
"I trust that you are…well?"  
"Don't worry Severus, it's nothing. I just needed a favor from Sirius."  
"I do not like the sounds of that."  
"You don`t like anything." Rosie countered, putting her hand briefly on his back where he sat and winking.  
"Are you going to the feast tonight Severus?"  
"It is required of me."  
"I hate Halloween. Especially this one. I hate this stupid tournament, and I hate that stupid Cedric wants to put himself in stupid danger for fun.  
"You could always… break up with him." The potions master smirked.  
Rosie glared. "You're just lucky I'm with Ced and not chasing after Viktor Krum like every other girl at Hogwarts."  
Severus made a face. "Indeed. The very idea of that is abhorrent."  
The potions master scowled at his charge. She had gotten into the habit lately of initiating a playful banter designed to irritate him. Her sarcasm and wit had sharpened immensely over the summer. Rose now held herself with a bit more confidence than she had before. Severus attributed it to the trial, and perhaps the exposure to marauders. The girl was still fragile… small, but she was growing up. Her maturation however, seemed to have the opposite effect on her ability to make sane decisions. Unfortunately, the girl had had better self-preservation instincts at age twelve. It was apparent that he was going to go grey within the next few years trying to protect her, and that wasn't even taking into account the possibility of the Dark Lord's return. Now that she was more or less stable, there were hordes of these boys, horrible, male students with lewd desires lusting after the child. It was difficult enough to tolerate Diggory. Just the other week Severus had found her alone in a hallway, laughing of all things, with Draco Malfoy. Merlin forbid that ever develop into anything. He'd given the boy detention just for that reason. A few months previous had been the bruising on her arms. She had practically admitted to him that she'd been lying about its origin. It had taken all that Severus had not to open her mind in that instant and rip the memories from her skull so that he could murder whoever had the audacity to take hold of her like that.  
However, it was starting to seem inappropriate to invade Rose's thoughts without permission. In the beginning, it had been a way for her to communicate with him without speaking, but now, it felt like a violation of her privacy. Severus did not think that she needed to have any more of her private thoughts exposed, even to him. His new attitude towards Rose and legilimency certainly did complicate things.  
When the girl had left his office, Severus tried to erase the thoughts from his head of whatever favor she could have needed so urgently from Black. Her relationship with the mutt was odd. With the werewolf, she was positively enamored. Rose had idolized Lupin from the moment she'd set eyes on him. This was no secret, in fact Severus wagered a guess that had she been permitted, the girl would have been perfectly comfortable spending the full moons with the fully transformed beast. Black was different. Though it made him uncomfortable to admit it, Severus knew that Rose fanciest himself a father figure. She did not hesitate to make that known. It was very similar with Lupin. However, Rose would insist until she was blue in the face that Black was not her father, not her godfather, not her anything. It was difficult to discern what kind of role he played in her life. They fought so often, and so viciously that it was hard not to believe her, but then she did things like today.  
He was sure that she hadn't even made it known to the wolf that she had been home. Otherwise, Severus knew that he would have had to leave and collect her himself. She would not have been able to pry herself away after only half an hour. Rose obviously shared some sort of connection with the foulest marauder if they kept secrets so private that even Lupin was not privy. Cutting Black out of his thoughts, Severus continued marking the dismal papers turned in by the advanced potions class. He resisted the urge to scrawl a large 'T' for 'Troll' on Diggory's parchment purely out of spite, and moved on.  
At the Halloween feast that evening. Severus observed Rose, who was seated at the Gryffindor table with the Weasley girl, but was glaring forward towards Hufflepuff. Following her gaze, the potions master found her eyes to be resting on Diggory… who was seated with Meadow Chapman, the head girl. He could not tell if she was cross with the boy for entering the tournament, or jealous that the other girl sat with her hand resting on Diggory's shoulder, paying rapt attention to whatever he was saying. Perhaps both. Either way, the glare reminded him strikingly of his own.  
When it was time for the insufferable goblet ordeal to begin, Severus had the beginnings of a headache. The girl was now biting her fingernails and staring at the floor. The youngest Weasley had her head resting on Rose's shoulder.  
Albus stood at the front of the hall, eyes twinkling madly as he waited for the goblet to spit out a name. Viktor Krum was chosen first, for Durmstrang. That was no surprise. Nor was Fleur Delacour. When Cedric Diggory was elected for Hogwarts, Severus saw Rose's body slump, presumably with anxiety. His chest tightened at her discontent. Her reaction only lasted a moment. The girl, pulling strength from somewhere, stood up and clapped along with the other students, plastering a smile on her face and making eyes at her ungrateful, unworthy boyfriend.  
The great hall had just begun to settle down, the students returning to their seats, when unexpectedly, the goblet spit forth another piece of paper. Albus caught it, and his expression held. The tension was palpable as the hall waited with bated breath. Finally, the headmaster cleared his throat and spoke,  
"Rose Potter."  
Severus froze. There was a collective gasp. His hands gripped the table, knuckles turning white. Rose. Her eyes were wide, as she looked towards the headmaster, expression full of apprehension. When Albus did not give her anything to go off of, the child moved her gaze onto him. That was Severus' cue. He stood up, keening his head to the side to motion for her to follow the other champions. Rose's face contorted in panic, and the Weasley girl nudged her to her feet. The potions master wanted to do a lot of things in that moment, alarms sounding in his mind, but instead, he occluded. Surely there had been a mistake.  
Taking a few moments to collect himself, Severus entered the backroom where the champions were being stored. Rose was obviously distressed, her tone was shrill and she was directing her anger towards the Hufflepuff dunderhead.  
"You are an imbecile if you think for a second that I would put my own name in this bloody death game!"  
"What's your explanation then Rose? Seriously, I thought you'd gotten over this… and all this time you were just jealous. How could you? You knew this was important to me."  
The girl recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "How could I? How could you… you jerk! I begged you not to get involved with this stupid competition. I would never have entered." She spat. "I'm shit at magic!"  
"I don't know what to think Rose! God, this is too much."  
"Too much for you? Are you joking? I'm fucking fourteen Ced, I couldn't duel myself out of a paper bag!"  
All eyes were focused on the fight that had broken out between them. Rose was beginning to become too agitated, and Severus noted that the portraits on the walls were shaking. He came up from behind, placing a hand on her shoulder firmly.  
"I think that this conversation can be had another time." He guided her. "Diggory. Leave."  
The boy looked like he was going to try and defy him… Severus deepened the glare, and Rose's boyfriend faltered. He retreated then, shooting the child a pitying look. She exhaled loudly, falling back into him, and bringing her hands up to cover her face, hiding her tears of frustration.  
"I am going to assume that Miss Potter did not enter into the tournament willingly." Minerva commented from her spot next to Albus.  
"It would appear that way." Albus concurred.  
By the time that the discussions had been had, Severus was shaking with fury. There was no way to retract her from the tournament without the forfeit of her magic, and Severus was not handling it very well. He knew what these competitions were like, and Rose… his Rose, basically the entire reason for his continued existence, had not had enough time to heal. She was still so behind with spell work. She was too fragile for this. Her control was not even close to where it needed to be. It didn't help that the girl was beside herself with fear. Her face was devoid of Potter arrogance. Rose was a child who was quite in touch with her own faults and limitations. She had withdrawn inward after Diggory had left, clinging to him like a little girl. He'd retrieved her a dreamless sleep potion from his stores and sent her to bed in his chambers.  
Severus busied himself brewing until he felt it safe to assume that the headmaster would be alone. Albus had only reiterated the same garbage in private that he'd spewed to the other headmasters. Rose had to compete. He'd apologized, and promised that Rose would receive extra help and training, but confessed that the matter was out of his hands. Furious, but resigned, Severus descended the stairs, passing through the halls silently. He was just about to turn into the corridor which would lead him back down to the dungeons, when he heard the hideously familiar sound of students fornicating in a nearby broom closet.  
Severus, who, in his first year as a professor, had made the unfortunate mistake of opening the door on two of his students nude and entangled with one and other, rapped on the door.  
"Show yourselves." He drawled. Lighting the hall with his wand.  
From inside, he could hear the male partner curse audibly and groan. What happened next incited almost the same amount of rage in him that Rose's forced inscription in the tournament had. Meadow Chapman came stumbling out of the broom closet, her hair in disarray and her skirt on backwards followed closely by none other than Cedric Diggory. Oh, this night could not get any worse.  
The idiot boy stared at him with an expression of pure dread. "P…professor Snape sir…" He began but Severus cut him off.  
"Twenty points from Hufflepuff." Was all that he said, turning on his heels, and stalking off towards the stairs. He needed a drink.


	63. Chapter 63

When Rosie awoke the next morning, she was in Severus' bed. She always knew that something bad had happen when she woke up in her guardian's bed like this. Then she remembered. The tournament. Somebody had entered her in the Triwizard Tournament and the goblet had picked her. Rose groaned loudly, remembering the fight she'd had with Ced. Why did it always have to be one thing after another? Of course, this would happen, why not? It was as if fate was looking down on her, laughing, asking, what more can we do to ruin the life of Rose Potter?  
Still in her pajamas, dark hair loose and hanging down, Rosie crawled out of the bed and went into the small kitchen and sitting room unit. There was Severus. Her favorite breakfast was laid out and placed under a heating charm, next to a mug of tea with her name on it. He looked up when she entered. If Rose had not been mistaken, she swore she saw the man cringe.  
"Severus. When I die, please keep brewing Moony the wolfsbane." She requested.  
The potions master growled and slammed his hand down on the table. "You are not going to die."  
Rosie flinched, and then she frowned. "I'm serious… please. That's all I ask."  
"Enough. I will not have you going around with this attitude."  
"Gosh, Severus, I'm just being realistic. I can cast a mean heating charm and I'm pretty good at exploding things with my mind, but that's about the extent of my magical ability…Oh and the contraceptive charm, at least, I hope I cast that right."  
"That is why you will be trained, extensively." Severus snarled, glaring at her.  
"By who?" She asked, brows furrowing.  
"Your wolf and Black are coming by to discuss that with you."  
"Hmm… it won't be you then. That's a shame. It would probably be good for me to learn how to fight like a death eater." She drawled, poking his shoulder.  
Severus balked.  
"I'm just teasing. I'm not gonna have many more chances. First task is in a month."  
"I told you already. You are not going to die."  
Rosie knew she was toeing the line now, so she pulled back. He was getting agitated and she didn't want him to ignore her all day. Rose needed company right now.  
"At least without a boyfriend I'll have more time to study." Rosie sighed bleakly.  
"You do not wish to resolve things with Diggory?" He raised an eyebrow.  
"I mean… obviously, yeah, but he didn't believe me. I don't even know if he'll want to."  
Severus seemed to let out a breath. Rosie sat down at the table and rested her chin in her hands.  
"Sometimes… he can be so sweet, but I don't know if it's real or fake because he can turn on me so fast."  
"How so?" Her guardian questioned cautiously.  
"I mean, one minute he says he loves me and the next he leaves me alone and vulnerable at a party. If Malfoy hadn't found me, I don't even know how I would've gotten home. I feel like it's a bad sign when that git cared more about my safety than my own boyfriend."  
Severus glowered at the memory.  
"And… he believed his dad right away when Amos accused me of trying to trap him… Now this."  
Rosie could tell that the dour man was trying to refrain from commenting.  
"You know, sometimes he can be so attentive to my needs, making sure I'm alright and stuff… but then other times he just, doesn't seem to notice or care." She remembered vividly the uncomfortable broom closest encounter.  
Severus spoke then, his tone surprisingly gentle. "That does not sound like love child."  
"But Ced…he stayed with me Severus… through the trial. He never once said anything mean about all that."  
He sighed loudly. "No decent person would Rose. That does not make him good for you."  
"You don't like him, do you? Is it because he reminds you of James?"  
The potions master closed his eyes. "Rose, there is something that I must tell you, but I do not wish to, as I fear it will only add to your current despair."  
"What is it Severus?" Her voice was small.  
"Last night, when I was returning from the headmaster's office, I had the great misfortune of encountering Mr. Diggory in a rather precarious position with the head girl…" He began.  
Rosie's mouth dropped open. Her heart stopped and her stomach sank. "A precarious position? You mean, they were…"  
He nodded.  
Her eyes stung, the betrayal seeping through her veins like boiling water.  
"I knew it." She sighed, allowing a tear to fall. "I knew I was pushing him away… but…"  
Severus did not seem to know what to do.  
"Fuck." Rosie cursed, trying to mop up her tears with her pajama sleeve. "Of course, he wanted her. She's perfect. She's everything… everything I'm not."  
"Do. Not. Say. That." He spat, eyes blazing. "You did not make this happen. If anything, it is you who deserves better child."  
"You're wrong. I deserve exactly this. I deserve this feeling. Fuck." She let her head fall into her hands.  
"Enlighten me. What on earth could you have done to warrant this Rose?" Severus prodded. He could be so sweet sometimes.  
"You don't understand Severus."  
"Then elaborate."  
"I asked for this… This is one hundred percent karma telling me to go fuck myself." Rosie sobbed.  
Her guardian seemed almost startled by her reaction.  
"Rose. Surely you cannot be this self-deprecating."  
"Don't you see? I cheated on him first Severus! I was with someone else. I… urgh."  
His face contorted in surprise. "You… partook in sexual activity with another person outside of your relationship with Diggory?"  
She nodded.  
Severus closed his eyes and rubbed his temples roughly. "Did you tell Diggory this?"  
"No… only Sirius."  
"Of course you did." His voice was tired.  
"Oh, I am such an idiot." She groaned, tugging at her hair.  
"Child…" He reached out his hand towards her, but Rosie pushed herself back from the table abruptly, stalking into Severus' room and slamming the door. She changed into the spare clothes that she kept there and found herself once again in the sitting room. Her guardian had not moved from the table. Rose bypassed him without a second glance and walked out the door into the potion's office, and then into the corridor.  
The first thing that Rosie did was go up to Gryffindor tower. She snuck into her dorm, bypassing the stragglers in the common room and began to rummage through her clothes. It wasn't often that Rose used her looks as a weapon. On the contrary, when she wasn't in her uniform, she could usually be found in the same style sweatshirt and tights every day, modest and simple. However, in that moment, she wanted him to see what the he was missing out on. That and she had to take control of the story. Rose had to be the one to set the tone of their impending breakup so that people didn't turn against her. She was already in everyone's bad books over this whole tournament ordeal. Reasonably, Rosie knew that she had no right to be angry, no right to do this, but she didn't care. He hadn't even known about Malfoy and he still did this. It bloody hurt. She changed into a pretty green top that was tight across her chest and arms, pairing it with some of her more flattering black jeans. Leaving her hair long, she smoothed it out, and painted her eyes and lips subtly, as Lavender and Parvati had taught her to do.  
When Rose was done, she looked great and she knew it. Mustering up all the confidence left in her system, she went off in search of Cedric. It was not difficult to find him. The boy was loitering around the entrance to the great hall with some of his friends, but there was a large student population around them in all directions. Perfect.  
Cedric's eyes widened as he caught sight of her, his eyes sweeping up her body, and then his face contorting painfully when he met her eyes. Rosie channeled her inner Slytherin and stuck out her bottom lip, allowing it to quiver as she stared up at him with doe eyes.  
"How could you?" Rose started, making sure her voice broke on cue. She remembered Moony's face as he motioned for her to cry at the trial.  
The boy's face flushed red and he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.  
"How could you be with her? How could you do that?" She sniffed. The tears were false, but the pain in her voice was real. His friends turned to stare at him, and then back at Rosie.  
"Mate, what did you do?" One of them asked.  
"Rose…" He started. "Please, I'm so sorry. I thought that you had entered the tournament on purpose… Dumbledore, he explained everything to me this morning…"  
"So, the first thing you did was find the nearest girl and…" She trailed off, clutching at her chest dramatically.  
"Dude, you cheated on Rose Potter?" Another friend nudged him.  
Cedric was now the color of a ripe tomato, his expression etched in shame. Rosie felt guilty at that point. She was just as much at fault as he was, he just didn't know it. She couldn't stop picturing him… with her, making her cry out his name. The mental image was sickening.  
Rose turned around when she heard a soft and familiar voice purr from behind them.  
"Diggory." Malfoy taunted. "Looks like you really fucked this one up." A smirk broke out across the Slytherin boy's face.  
"Why is it that I am always the one who has to clean up your mess?" He winked provokingly, placing a hand on Rosie's hip, and trailing it up her stomach, until his fingers were resting just below her breast.  
Cedric's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, staring at Malfoy`s hand placement. Rose did not know what possessed her in that moment to do what she did, but she leaned into the horrible boy's touch, burrowing her face in his shoulder and letting out another sob, which she was not quite sure was false.  
"Now, if you will excuse me, I think I'm going to be the one comforting your girlfriend here." Rosie could almost feel Malfoy's face twist into a sadistic sneer.  
Ced was staring at her in disbelief. "Rose. Don't tell me you're actually gonna go off with… him." He pointed at the blond boy.  
"I… I never thought you would…Oh Ced, why?" She stuttered. The emotion had taken over now and Rosie wasn't even acting. Why did she do these things to herself? Now she was in a public situation making a scene and she was starting to actually lose control.  
Malfoy seemed to sense that she wasn't playing anymore, shooting Cedric one last smug smile, and leading her out of the entrance hall. They walked in silence for a moment, until they were alone and then Malfoy turned to her.  
"Potter. I can't tell if you're actually upset."  
"No, I'm fucking overjoyed." She sobbed again.  
"Diggory was playing around behind your back then… man, I wouldn't have thought he had it in'em, Hufflepuff loyalty and all."  
Rosie growled.  
"Who was it?"  
"Meadow Chapman." She whispered slowly.  
His eyes widened. "Damn, she's hot. Still, she's not… you. Everyone knows that Rose Potter is next level fuckable, even more now with this whole damsel in distress thing you've got going on."  
"That's just sick Malfoy, god."  
"You're welcome by the way." The boy raised an eyebrow. "You know, when that gets back to Pansy… she'll have my head, so, you'd better make it worth my while."  
Rosie let out another sob and Malfoy cringed. "Potter don't tell me you're actually gonna let that idiot make you cry. He's not worth it."  
"Ugh. It's just, he was my first…After, well… you know."  
"Yeah. That's my bloody point. You know, I thought you were gonna deny all that shit about Lockhart once it was out in the papers. I didn't think that you'd have the gall, but I was wrong. You've got guts Potter, and you shouldn't let Diggory knock you down from that."  
"Why are you being like this?" Rosie asked suspiciously.  
"I'm trying to get in your pants."  
"That's what I thought." She sighed.  
"Seriously though, all jokes aside, you're a badass Potter, and you're a great fuck, so can we get on with this?"  
"You're so disgusting. Where would we even go?" Rose hissed.  
"Follow me." He ordered, holding the tip of his wand over her head and uttering an incantation. A shiver passed down through her spine.  
"What did you just do to me?"  
"I disillusioned you… we learned that spell last week in charms."  
"Shit. See this is exactly why I can't be in this awful competition. I didn't even remember learning that." She spoke as they walked.  
"Yeah, you're fucked, I bet it was some death eater who did it. They've been meeting a lot since the cup. Somebody wants you dead."  
"Maybe it was your daddy. Wouldn't be the first time he tried to kill a student."  
"Yeah, sorry about that." He coughed.  
Rosie shrugged. "Sins of the father."  
They reached the Slytherin common room and Malfoy put a finger over her lips to silence her. This sneaking around thing was all very stimulating. He led her through the room, which was decked out in green and silver, and up the stairs towards the boys' dorms. When they reached what was presumably his, Malfoy stopped, and let her enter, but not before undoing the tie from his neck and placing it around the doorknob.  
The dorm was similar to her own, in opposite colors. The major difference was the massive snake portrait that hung on the wall, looming over the beds. The blond boy had barely given her enough time to look around before he began to go after her frigid, blue eyes roaming her body.  
Malfoy drew the pretty shirt up over her head and unhooked her bra in almost the same breath. Maybe she ought to start having sex only with Slytherin boys… they seemed to know what they were doing at least. Pressing her into the bed, Rosie could feel his erection hard against her legs. As per his usual methods, Malfoy took control. He grabbed a handful of her hair and wrenched her head back, breathing hotly against her neck. With his left hand, he began to undo the buttons on her jeans. The boy did all this with his eyes still fixed on her breasts.  
"Fuck you're gorgeous Potter."  
That was the first time he'd ever complimented her appearance. When they were both completely nude, Malfoy took her hands behind her back and turned her over so that she was on her stomach. Grasping onto her wrists again, he forced her arms above her head and held her to the bed tightly. Now that she was completely at his mercy, he took a moment to cast the contraceptive charm, meticulous as always, and returned his hand to her wrist. Rosie was going to have bruises on her arms again. His grip was tight like a vice as he entered her, the feeling different this time due to the change in position. Malfoy was ruthless, and Rose reveled in it. He brought his lips down close to her ear and whispered,  
"You still want Diggory?"  
She could barely control the sounds of her pleasure as he consumed her. It was so strange, the idea that him holding her down like this could make her feel so good, when it really shouldn't. Malfoy came, hissing obscenities into her ear, his body shuddering with the force of his climax. Rosie was left spent, her body aching and her wrists sore, but she wasn't crying anymore. At least Malfoy made her feel wanted, in his filthy sort of way.  
Rose sighed as they got dressed. She had to go back and see Severus. He'd said that Moony and Sirius were going to come by, and she needed to be there. Her lips were swollen, and her hair was in total disarray. Malfoy made sure she got through the common room without detection and then sent her on her way.  
When Rosie entered the potion's office again, Severus was there, waiting for her, along with Moony and Sirius They all seemed to be very tense. When she walked in, all three pairs of eyes came to rest on her. Severus sighed long and low when he took in her appearance and Sirius' eyes widened.  
"I don't even want to know where you were." Her ex-godfather said quietly.  
Before Rosie had time to respond, Moony stood up, a grin plastered on his face. "Hey Princess." He said, pulling her into a tight hug. "I've missed you." Thank goodness for Moony who never cared what she'd been up to.  
Rose buried her face into him, taking in the warm, familiar scent and allowing him to slow her heartrate. "I missed you too Moony."  
"I specifically told you not to enter this tournament my love." He whispered. The werewolf then began to smooth her hair down so that it lay flat against her shoulders again.  
"I didn't…"  
"I know sweetheart. Trouble just always has a way of finding you." Her guardian soothed. "You look very nice today." Severus and Sirius were both still silent, just watching their interaction.  
"Yup, I was extracting some well-deserved revenge." She winked, and Moony's brows furrowed. "Sometimes you can be so like your father." He sighed, touching his thumb to her cheek.  
Severus spoke up from his desk. "Somehow, I believe that even James Potter would not approve of your particular… method of retaliation."  
"Leave Rosie alone Sniv." Sirius snapped, still looking at the floor.  
"Siri don't call him that. It's fine. I was pretty rude to Severus earlier."  
She shot the potions master an apologetic glance and he nodded in acceptance. "So… what are we going to do about this?" Rosie asked, biting her bottom lip nervously.  
"You will need to be taught." The dour man stated plainly.  
"Yeah, I got that part. So, what? You guys are gonna teach me how not to die?" Rose turned to Moony and Sirius.  
For the first time since she'd entered the office, her ex-godfather cracked a smile. "Basically, yes. Every day until the first task to catch you up to speed, and then every three days after that. We'll take turns."  
Rosie grimaced. "I hope you know what your getting into." She shook her head.  
"Don't be so hard on yourself sweet pea. You were fine in defense last year. Plus, you can cast a corporeal patronus. That's pretty impressive."  
"Even if you fucked up the form." Siri added from the side, glaring at Severus.  
"There's nothing wrong with bats."  
"You're right of course Rosie, you'll have to excuse Sirius, you see, he grew up in a cave, so bats aren't really his thing." Moony taunted the other man.  
"That's not even too far from the truth." Siri admitted, dragging a hand through his hair.  
They set out a schedule, and Rosie kissed her guardian and Sirius goodbye. When the boys had gone, Severus shot her a concerned look. "Do not punish yourself for Diggory's mistake." He said seriously.  
She just shrugged. "I'll be ok."


	64. Chapter 64

"Stop dodging me and cast a bloody spell!" Sirius yelled from the other side of the room.  
Rosie shrieked as he shot another stunner towards her and she dropped to the ground.  
He jogged over to where she sat and held out a hand. "Honey, you've gotta fight back." He sighed, pulling her up to face him.  
"I don't know any spells Siri!" She cried in frustration, throwing her hands in the air.  
"Ok…ok, relax Rosie. Relax." He whispered, pulling her into a soft hug. "You do know spells Prongslet, you're just not a comfortable castor. I get that."  
"I can't do this." Her voice was resigned.  
"Hey now, listen, let's try something different yeah? We'll do a pattern."  
Rosie looked up at him. Sirius broke the hug and smiled. "We'll start small."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Think of it like quidditch. We're gonna plan out the plays at first, get you started. We can start with a disarming spell. What do you cast to block that?"  
"Protego."  
"Good. Now, how could you counter my spell?"  
"Erm… I could stun you."  
"Sure, yup. Now, how could I deflect that?  
"Impedimenta."  
"Exactly. Now, here's the trick. You know I'm gonna slow the stunner, so what could you cast to catch me off guard while I'm busy doing that?"  
"Petrificus Totalus?"  
"Uh huh. Look how many spells you know now." He grinned. "Ok, repeat the pattern for me."  
"Expelliarmus, Protego, Stupefy, Impedimenta, Petrificus Totalus."  
"Good. Alright, let's give it a go, really slowly, take a deep breath and relax." Sirius winked, and moved back to the other side of the room.  
When Rose was prepared, he cast a disarming spell lazily in her direction. She managed to block it with the shield, and then hesitated.  
"Take your time, you've got this."  
Her stunner wasn't very powerful, but she managed it. He deflected her easily, and Rosie mustered up her courage and shot the body bind spell his way. The man froze, his arms locking to his sides as he fell onto the mat. She let out a pained little noise of concern and rushed over, ending the bind.  
When Rose freed him, Siri broke into a wide smile. "I knew you could do it!" He chuckled, getting up off the floor and twirling her around in a circle happily.  
"Let's go again."  
Rosie was exhausted by the time they had repeated the pattern a few more times, switching roles midway through the lesson. Sirius had barely broken a sweat. She resented him for that, but she would get her payback. The man was about to call it quits when she quirked an eyebrow and asked,  
"So… Can you help me with the Imperius Curse?", her chest still heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Rose wanted to take off her sweater, it was too hot, but she couldn't. Not in front of Sirius.  
The ex-con winced. "Now? I really don't want to Prongslet… I don't wanna do that to you." His tone took on a whine that resembled her own.  
"Siri you said you would! Please…" She pouted. Rose knew he would agree eventually.  
"It's not an easy curse to cast…" He tried.  
"Oh please Mr. Auror, you're not even close to tired. Besides, you're not going to be doing anything to me. I trust you."  
He let his head fall and groaned. "You're such a little…." Sirius shook his head, smirking. "Fine. Just take a breather."  
She nodded, content with his answer. They sat down together on the mats.  
"So, you're competing against Diggory, huh? Won't that make things awkward for you?"  
Rosie snarled, flopping onto her back. "No. Cedric and I are over. We're done. It doesn't matter."  
"Oh shit. I didn't know. Sorry hon. Wait does that mean… you chose Malfoy?" She couldn't see his face, but he sounded horrified.  
"No, I didn't choose Malfoy. I don't wanna talk about it."  
"C'mon, you can't just leave me hangin kid, it can't be that bad."  
"Siri… ugh. He cheated on me ok? He slept with the head girl. Turns out it didn't even matter, me feeling guilty, because he never even knew and he still…" Her voice broke. She was still pretty sore about it.  
"Aw… Rosie, I'm sorry, that's awful.  
"It's my own fault. I felt so guilty that I pushed him away… right over to her."  
"Don't say that. It's his fault for being such a bastard that you went to that death eater boy of all people."  
"Ced's not a bastard… We're just… not right for each other. That girl, Meadow is her name…What the hell kind of name is that, am I right? She's who Cedric needs. She's pretty and happy, and she won't lie to him, or ignore him, or pretend to enjoy herself when she's really just waiting for it to be over." She ranted  
Sirius' eyes widened and he coughed uncomfortably. "Yeah… he obviously was doing something wrong if…er, yeah. I'm sorry hon, but you're the best, and perfect, and any of those stupid little wankers would be lucky to have you." He tried to comfort her.  
"Thanks Siri." Rose flashed him a small smile. "I think I'm ready to continue. Take over my mind!" She changed her tone playfully and pulled him up off the mat.  
"Don't say that. It's weird." He moaned.  
The first attempt failed, because Sirius was not concentrating. "You have to mean it!"  
"But I don't mean it Rose, I'm not even the slightest bit cross with you."  
"Pretend…I don't know, pretend you just found out that I'm actually Severus and Lily's lovechild."  
He paled. "What the…Never, ever, ever, ever say that again. Don't even think a thought like that, don't… gross. How do you come up with this shit? Thank god you look like your dad."  
"Cast it now." Rose prodded.  
He did, and the familiar, unfocussed feeling settled over her. Sirius was telling her to walk in a circle around him. She listened, her body couldn't shake it off. The second and third time he cast it ended in the same result.  
"Don't worry about it. We'll keep trying." Siri reassured as she failed for the fourth time.  
"Maybe you're not motivating me enough."  
"Motivating you?"  
"I mean… asking me to walk around in circles is hardly uncomfortable enough for my mind to recoil, you know?"  
"Yeah, ok, but I'm not really comfortable asking you to do anything else. I don't like this as it is."  
"C'mon Siri, just try one more time, think of something else." She shot him her best pleading expression, and he was putty in her hands.  
"Alright, whatever, don't say I didn't warn you." Sirius rolled his eyes.  
He cast the curse and her face went slack, her body relaxing, and her mind separating into two parts. Siri was telling her to climb up on the table in the corner of the room. He was asking her to climb on the table and use that insult… 'Snivellus.' The name rang in her mind as vaguely familiar. Rosie was making her way over to the table, chanting, 'Snivellus, Snivellus, Snivellus," in her mind, when suddenly she remembered something important. It was Severus, not Snivellus. The next thing that Rose felt was the sensation of the ground moving rapidly towards her and a sharp pain in her elbow as she tried to break her fall.  
"Ouch!" She cried out, and Sirius lifted the curse.  
"Atta girl Prongslet!" He beamed as he moved quickly over to check her injury and help her up.  
"I told you that would work." She grumbled, cradling her arm against her stomach.  
"Here, let me see." Siri took her arm in his hand. It was only then that Rose remembered, but it was too late. He'd already rolled up her sleeve.  
"Woah… Rose, what the hell is this?" All the light vanished from his eyes as he took in the bruises that decorated the skin of her wrist.  
"I fell." Was her automatic response.  
Sirius hesitated. "You fell into somebody's fucking hand." He reached for her other arm, but she pulled it away.  
"Don't touch me, Sirius."  
The man let go of her immediately, but he kept his eyes trained on her face. "Who grabbed you?" He asked, his tone wary.  
"Nobody." She sighed.  
"No, Rose, be straight with me. What is this? That doesn't just happen by itself."  
She flushed red. "It's just Malfoy. He's got…control issues."  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius seemed to be on the offensive now.  
"It's not a big deal. Honest. He just does that, when we're together."  
"You mean he does this during sex?" None of the man's usual discomfort was reflected in the question.  
Rosie nodded.  
"He holds you down?"  
"Sirius, it's not like that… he never forces me."  
"No, no, but I bet he could." Siri seemed to lose himself in thought.  
"I'm sorry?"  
"I bet he could do whatever the fuck he wanted to you and you would let him. You don't give a shit, do you? You just…take it."  
Rosie was beginning to feel uncomfortable.  
"You don't have a fight instinct. That's what's wrong here." He moved closer to her, backing her into the wall.  
"Siri what are you doing?" She whimpered as he boxed her in, his arms trapping her there, face just inches from hers.  
"I'm not doing anything, but neither are you. That's the bloody problem. You would let me do whatever I wanted to you. You'd let me hurt you, god, you'd just lay there and take it. You wouldn't fight. This is what you do when you're scared, when you feel like you're in danger."  
"That's not true."  
"Yes, it is Rose. You feign confidence, you pretend all the time. Anytime I've ever seen you get aggressive, you were never really scared. You're scared now though. I can see the fear in your eyes… but no reaction. This is why your magic lashes out. It's a last-ditch effort to protect you when you won't do it for yourself.  
"Siri stop."  
"Not until you fight Rose. Protect yourself."  
"Get away from me." She spat.  
"No."  
Something snapped inside of her then. Rosie reached forward and shoved him off of her. "Fuck you! I did fight. I fought so bloody hard and it didn't do me any good! I screamed, and cried, and pleaded, and struggled and it did nothing! It made it worse!"  
Her voice was high pitched and manic now. Sirius just closed his eyes.  
"I fought until I couldn't fight anymore and then the only way for me to survive was to let him Siri. There's no other way."  
"You're wrong." He stated. "There was no other way. You were powerless, you were alone but you're not now, and you need to stop acting like it. You don't fight because you're scared of making things worse, but you're killing yourself Rose. You're killing your soul."  
"I can't Sirius! That part of me already died. It's dead."  
"Don't say that Rosie. You're so powerful. You are full of life and you've gotta protect that honey. You've gotta keep that part of you safe. When you feel threatened you need to do something about it."  
"I don't know how!" She cried.  
Sirius raised his wand and shot a stunner towards her. It missed her by fraction of an inch, on purpose, and there was a glint in the man's eyes.  
Rose drew her wand and thrust it forward, a jet of blue light shot toward him, which he deflected. They began to duel. He was definitely going easy on her, but she was firing off every spell that she knew in an endless stream of colorful lights. She ducked out of the way of the spells he was sending to her, until finally, one of them hit and she soared several feet back, landing on her bottom on the mat.  
"That's what I'm talking about Rose! That's what you need to do. He offered a hand out to her, and she looked up at him. Sirius Black was such a git, but she took it anyways.  
"Listen Rosie. I get it, I do. I spent twelve years in Azkaban. I know a thing or two about learned helplessness, but I also know that you're gonna have a harder go at things if you continue like this."  
"What am I supposed to do?" She whispered.  
"Take control Rose. You take control, and…you don't let anyone grab you like that kid. Not ever again."


	65. Chapter 65

Rita Skeeter was a woman that Rosie had spent a lot of time thinking about over the past few months. The woman had spent nearly two months during the summer writing almost constant articles about Rose, but never had they met face to face. She was the reporter who first broke the Lockhart story… the one who had cited an anonymous source listening in on her and Malfoy in the drawing room at the Longbottom manor. When Rosie came face to face with the blonde woman for the first time, she wasn't sure whether to slap her or give her a hug. On the one hand, Skeeter had basically ruined her life. She had left Rose vulnerable and exposed for all Magical Britain to see and had caused her so much pain and anxiety leading up to the trial. However, on the other hand… she was the reason that Rosie would never have to see her former defense professor ever again. There was also the fact that the woman had graciously left out some major details of the conversation at the Longbottom manor, which would have made her look really bad. Afterall, the headline could have read,  
"Drunken Confessions: Girl Who Lived accuses former Hogwarts Professor of rape and then seduces Malfoy heir."   
The article did not touch on those nastier details, which had made the whole process that much easier. As it turns out, Rosie didn't have to decide how to react to Rita Skeeter, because Cedric did it for her. It was at the weighing of the wands; the first task was two weeks away and the champions had all be called together to have their wands examined by Ollivander. Everyone had arrived before her, because Rose had been in the middle of ruining her potion and Severus had been standing over her glaring when Colin Creevey had come to relay the message.  
When Rosie did get there, she walked into the room right in the middle of a confrontation.  
"You should never have written that article without permission!"  
"Are you against freedom of the press young man?" Skeeter retaliated.  
"I'm not talking about the damn law. I'm saying that it was underhanded, and you caused a lot of problems!"  
"I'd hardly call helping to put a violent offender behind bars a problem!"  
"It wasn't fair on Rose, she really suffered because of you."  
"No, she suffered because she didn't come forward right away!"  
Rosie cleared her throat. Cedric and Skeeter were not alone. Ollivander, Dumbledore, Ludo Bagman, Fleur, and Viktor were there, and all eyes moved to her face as she made herself known.  
"Thank you everyone for your opinion on my personal life." Rose drawled, glaring at Cedric. Her heart clenched as he twitched. It almost looked like he wanted to reach out to her. Fleur Delacour seemed irritated about something, appraising Rosie from head to toe and then turning her nose up. Perhaps she wasn't used to have a little friendly competition. However, Rose was so distracted by Cedric that she hardly noticed the fact that Viktor Krum had given her a once over with his eyes.  
Rose decided to ignore the presence of Rita Skeeter, and she quickly took her wand out, hoping to get this over with quickly. Ollivander took it in his hands and smiled that creepy smile at her.  
"Yes…here we have our anomaly. Holly and phoenix tail feather, curious this match."  
She sighed internally, praying that he would not go into more depth with Skeeter here. Once her wand had been weighed, Rosie tried to make her escape. She shot a pained glance at Dumbledore when, before she could make it to the door, the wretched woman stopped her.  
"Miss Potter, Rose, May I call you Rose? If you wouldn't mind… I'd love a word."  
"Oh, you'd actually like to talk to me? I figured you'd just keep assuming." Rose snapped.  
"Now Rose, don't be like that. I thought you would have appreciated the effort I went to this summer in order to prevent any misinformation from spreading."  
Her tone lingered on the word misinformation and Rosie shivered.  
"It was just horrible what was done to you. You must be overjoyed to be back in the saddle and competing in the Triwizard Tournament at that!"  
The acid green quill that hovered beside Skeeter's head seemed to poise itself to take notes. Rose growled.  
"I am not talking about this right now. No comment."  
"Rose dear, I'm sure that everyone would love to know how you're recovering." Her voice was condescending and not at all what she'd pictured.  
"She said no comment." Cedric interjected, stepping towards her.  
Rosie's stomach curled as he defended her. Why was he being so sweet? They had broken up. Unable to bear all the staring, she looked to Ollivander.  
"Was that all?"  
The man smiled again, handing her wand back. "Indeed, that is all." He seemed to sigh with pleasure.  
"Alright. Thank you." Rose nodded curtly and turned to leave again. Unfortunately, Bagman stopped her, and requested that they take a group photo. In that moment, she would have preferred the endure Severus' sneer of disgust at her potion to this. Fleur and Viktor seemed equally inclined to leave, so they posed. Cedric shot her another searching glance and offered out his hand.  
Frustrated and upset now, Rosie took it, and allowed him to bring her into the picture. When it was over, and she was permitted to leave, she did so with haste, leaving behind Ced as he called for her to wait. What the hell was that? Rose had thought that the boy would have made things official with Meadow…Was he actually pining after her? She didn't know what to think.  
After the wand weighing, Rose had her lesson with Moony. Lessons with him had been nice, as she'd known they would be. That had been the best thing to come out of the blasted tournament. It seemed that Sirius was taking charge of dueling and spell casting, whereas Moony reviewed dark creatures with her. They'd practiced again with kelpies, hinkypunks, grindylow, and had even reviewed a few plants, such as devil's snare. Rosie would never forget how to defeat devil's snare, not after her first year.  
Today, they would work with a boggart. Moony, who was always punctual, waited in the training room, where the dueling club had been held in her second year with a big smile on his face. He always taught with his record player, and the werewolf was in the process of setting that up when she entered.  
"Good evening my darling." He greeted, with his back towards her.  
"Hi Moony."  
Nobody had ever been as affectionate with her as Moony was. He never came or went without hugs and kisses, and Rosie cherished it. The man was the first person who'd ever hugged her… and the only one to do so again until she had arrived at Hogwarts. Rose was relishing the lessons with her guardian, having been suffering from separation anxiety for the past couple of months.  
Because she had never successfully defeated a boggart, Moony began from scratch with her, reminding her of the charm, and what she had to do. Then he demonstrated. His boggart, the moon, shone prettily as it hung suspended in the air. As he had the first time, the werewolf changed the silvery orb into a balloon. When it came time for Rosie to try, she stood in front of the cabinet, which contained the creature, and allowed Moony to open it. Expecting a dementor, she was surprised at what stepped out.  
It was… herself? The girl that exited the cabinet was Rose, or a copy of her. The only difference was, that this Rosie's eyes were haunted. Her arms were littered with bruises, and her expression was emotionless.  
She recoiled, eyes wide as she stared at the figure, Sirius' words ringing through her head from their first lesson.  
You're killing your soul Rosie. You'd let me do whatever I wanted. You'd just lay there and take it.   
Rosie hadn't realized just how much of an effect that conversation had had on her until she stared down the soulless version of herself. Too long had passed and she could hear Moony's voice cut through the silence.  
"Rosie… remember your charm honey."  
Rose began to wrack her brain, trying desperately to think of something that would make this funny… but nothing about it was. There was no way that she could change this Rosie into something laughable. Moony seemed to sense her dilemma because he stepped in front of her, calling back the moon and immediately banishing it. Her guardian turned around then and moved to take her hand.  
"That wasn't what you were expecting, was it?" He pulled her closer and Rose shook her head.  
"Not even close."  
Rosie allowed him to coax her to sit on the table where she'd fallen before, and he moved to sit beside her.  
"Let's talk about it." He suggested.  
"I didn't realize it could change." She whispered softly.  
"Indeed, it changes as you do. For me, there will never be a fear greater than that of the moon; however, for you… I would imagine that your fears have developed, especially now that you can cast a patronus."  
"I'm gonna kill him." Rosie huffed.  
Moony raised an eyebrow. "Who is that my love?"  
"Stupid Sirius. He did this."  
"Sirius… did what?"  
"He made my fear change, he made me scared of…of…"  
"Yourself." Her guardian finished.  
Rose bit her lip.  
"Why do you say that sweet pea? What happened with Sirius?"  
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "He said… he said that I just let people do whatever they want to me… he told me I'm killing my soul, that I don't have any fight instincts, and that I don't protect myself." Her confession was quiet, but full of emotion.  
Moony let out a low whistle. "Wooh. That does sound alarming. I couldn't help but notice that your boggart had some bruises."  
He reached a hand over and rested it on her wrist, sliding the sleeve of her sweater up gently. "Right here." Her guardian rubbed a finger up and down her forearm, which was fully healed now."  
Now it was Rosie who sighed. "Yeah. She did."  
"We don't have to talk about that part if you don't want to… but I want you to know that you can talk to me, about absolutely anything."  
She nodded against him. "Moony… can I ask you a personal question?  
"Of course you can princess."  
"When were you, erm, bitten?"  
The man stiffened and then exhaled, still tracing his finger along her forearm. "I was five years old." He confessed quietly. "My father… Lyall, worked for the ministry at the time and a man named Fenrir Greyback was on trial for murdering two children."  
Rosie was listening with rapt attention.  
"Now, my father was the only one to realize that Greyback was a werewolf, and he was outraged when the man was released without imprisonment. He then made Greyback's lycanthropy known to the ministry and pushed for the dementor's kiss as punishment."  
Her eyes widened.  
"Greyback was very angry with my father… and so he decided to exact revenge. I was asleep in my bed the night of the full moon when he came through the window. My screams woke my parents up, but by the time they could drive him away, it was too late."  
"Oh Moony."  
He met her eyes, and she felt like she was looking right into his soul. "My father spent a long time trying to cure me. He was obsessed. Nobody thought that I would be allowed to go to Hogwarts until Dumbledore… well, he made an exception."  
Rosie constructed her next question carefully. "I know that people, wizards, treat you pretty bad when they find out… but, did you ever, feel like you deserved to be treated badly? You know… because of your condition."  
Moony seemed to know exactly what she was looking to hear. "Every day of my life sweetheart. Those things, those feelings, they never really leave us, but at the end of the day, it is you who determines your worth, nobody else. It is you who gets to decide how you let others treat you."  
"What if you can't tell if someone's hurting you?"  
Her guardian frowned. "I would expect Rosie, that you would know in your heart. You'd know because after you might feel… anxious, or nervous, you might feel badly about yourself, or you may even feel resigned, like there's nothing to be done, so you don't even try to change it."  
It was apparent that they weren't talking about lycanthropy anymore. In fact, she was certain that Moony had guessed the context of her question. Rose nodded, and then took a deep breath, deciding to change the topic before she spilled all her secrets.  
"Severus is driving me crazy Moony." She stated.  
Understanding flashed in his eyes, and the werewolf pulled his face into a small smile, accepting the change of subject easily. "How so?"  
"He's grumpy all the time, and he's cross with me for not having a plan for the first task yet… but it's really hard when nobody knows what it is."  
"You've been put in a very difficult position this year love. I'm sure that Severus is just sick with worry. Some people lash out at others when they feel upset."  
"I just want him to be… Severus again. The one who transfigures me owl pajamas, and lets me cry to him about boys, not this angry shadow following me around annoying me if I do anything other than prepare for the task."  
"Have you tried telling him that?"  
"Hah. He'd just tell me that my life is worth more than my Gryffindor sensibilities or something."  
"Ah, see you're probably right there, but the thing is… Severus loves you despite those sensibilities, so he might just understand." Moony winked, kissed her forehead, and then they continued with the lesson. Though, the boggart they left for another day.  
As it turned out, Rosie's issues with the tournament were resolved that same night. Pulling the covers open on her bed, she noticed that there was a folded-up piece of paper resting on her sheet. Rose opened it and paused, confusion washing over her. It read,  
Meet me in the common room at midnight, bring your invisibility cloak. I know this sounds weird but it's important. Don't tell Mione.   
-Ron  
What in Merlin's name could Ron want with her at midnight that she couldn't tell Hermione about? Ever since Lockhart, Rose and Ron had not been very close. At that time, Rosie had drifted pretty far away from both he and Hermione, but probably due to their shared room, she'd been able to recuperate her friendship with Mione easier. When she'd stayed with the Weasleys, most of her time had been spent with Ginny. This year, Ron had really matured. Probably, due to Hermione's influence. He'd even been taking his classes more seriously. Rose had been surprised that first day in defense when he and Dean had stuck up for her.  
Changing into pajamas, she dug out the invisibility cloak, which she didn't use much anymore, and waited. At eleven fifty-nine, Rosie snuck down the stairs to find Ron already seated on the couch by the fireplace. She cleared her throat.  
"Rose." He said, turning around to face her.  
"Hey Ron. What's up?" Rose moved to sit next to him.  
"Did you bring the cloak?"  
She held it out to him. "Is everything ok? No offense, but this is kinda not like you."  
"Yeah, I know, sorry. I just… I know what the first task is."  
Rosie's heart skipped a beat. "You do?"  
The boy nodded.  
"Oh, thank god. You're saving my life Ron. If the task didn't kill me then Severus surely would've for not going into it prepared."  
"Yeah, Snape seems more pissed off than usual." He agreed.  
"So… what is it? A puzzle, a duel, a creature, more than one of the above?"  
"I think it's best if I just show you. That's why I asked you to bring the cloak."  
Rose let her confusion show on her face but allowed Ron to drape the cloak over the both of them and pull her out into the hall. It reminded her of first year. Ron was her first friend, before they'd even gotten to know Hermione yet. That was before… Now, they had grown and changed, and everything wasn't as simple as it had been. Still, the nostalgia coursed through her veins and only amplified her fondness for the youngest Weasley boy.  
He was leading her outside, onto the grounds and towards Hagrid's hut. As they walked, Ron tried to make conversation.  
"So, er, have you been learning a lot from Professor Lupin and Sirius?"  
"I guess so yeah. Mostly they just listen to me cry and then we're lucky to fit a bit of education in after that."  
Ron grimaced. Rose knew she should be less…herself around him, but she was nervous about the tournament. It was hard to pretend.  
"What do you cry about?" He asked, brows furrowing.  
"Mmm. The tournament, the fact that my stupid boyfriend slept with someone else, sometimes the trial stuff. You know, the usual."  
"Hey, I'm really sorry about Cedric, that was a pretty horrible thing to do."  
Rosie shrugged. "Yeah, I think he regrets it… he keeps trying to talk to me."  
"Do you wanna talk to him?"  
"Sometimes, yeah, but sometimes no. I wish we were still together, but I can't get the image out of my head of… them together."  
Ron frowned. "You act so much older than us Rose. Like Ced is three years older than you but you act like you're his age, not ours."  
"What do you mean?" She raised an eyebrow, disagreeing silently as she pictured herself crawling into her guardian's bed at night and following Severus around like a puppy.  
"I mean… you know a lot about relationships and stuff…"  
"Are you talking about sex?" Rosie laughed as they passed the shrieking shack.  
It was dark, but she knew that Ron was blushing.  
"I guess so yeah."  
"Well your wrong, I'm a child. Severus and Moony can attest to that, but I do know a bit about sex. I also happen to know that Hermione is pretty curious if that's what you're getting at."  
"She… she is?" His eyes widened.  
"Yes. Trust me, I know. She wants to, but she'd scared it will hurt."  
Ron coughed awkwardly. "Will it?"  
"Not for you." She nudged his shoulder.  
"No, I didn't er, think so, but I mean for her? I don't want to hurt her."  
"Listen Ron, I don't really know. I never had a proper first time, but I do know that the more into it she is, the less it will hurt. So, I'd suggest you look up some techniques to erm… get her going, and then hopefully she'll be fine."  
"That's good to know…thanks."  
"Meh, you're helping me out, no reason I can't help you out too." Rose chuckled.  
When the pair arrived at the edge of the forbidden forest, Ron moved to follow the path. "Urgh. I don't like this." Rosie whined, her stomach churning with nerves.  
"You're such a girl." He complained, taking her arm and dragging her along.  
It was dragons. The first task was dragons. Ron knew because Charlie Weasley was at Hogwarts. He was staying in a tent in the forbidden forest next to four, ginormous, straight out of a muggle fairytale, fire breathing dragons. Rose almost wet herself when she caught sight of them. Severus was going to have a heart attack when he found out. She didn't utter a word on the way back up to the castle.  
When they arrived back at Gryffindor tower, Ron turned to her. "Don't freak out too much. I'm sure they won't let anything bad happen to you… Charlie says that dragons are just like children, but dangerous. He says they stay up all night fighting and hissing at each other, but during the day they're pretty playful."  
"Playful?" Rosie retorted. "Dragons are not playful!"  
Then she froze. Something that he'd said had just clicked.  
"Did you say hissing?"


	66. Chapter 66

Remus came through the fire and into his cottage, pensive. Sirius wasn't doing anything, as usual, and he looked up and smiled when the werewolf entered.  
"How's Rosie?" He asked.  
"I'm not sure…" Remus replied.  
"Oh?"  
"I don't know exactly what you've told her Padfoot… but be careful."  
The man's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"  
"Whatever you said to her, something about protecting herself, it scared the shit out of her Sirius. Her boggart changed."  
"What?" His eyes widened.  
"It used to be a dementor… now it's, herself, but like a version of herself whose eyes were dead. It was unnerving. The boggart had bruises all over her arms and this expression… I don't even want to recall it."  
Much to Remus' surprise, his friend just nodded. "Good. She should be afraid."  
"Sirius." He chastised, that's uncalled for.  
"No, Remus. You and Snivellus baby her too much. Rose is on a bad path right now. She doesn't need babying, she needs the truth."  
"What are you saying?" The werewolf asked now, his tone clipped.  
"Listen, Rosie doesn't talk to me about much, but she does tell me a lot about those boyfriends of hers, and I don't like what I hear."  
"Boyfriends? His lips pursed.  
"Shit. I shouldn't have said that." Sirius sighed.  
"Who's the other?"  
Padfoot just shook his head. "Forget it."  
"Sirius, you have to stop with this whole 'keep the boys away from Rosie' thing.  
"No… Moony it's not that. I can't break her confidence, but it's not that she has a boyfriend, which she doesn't now by the way… it's how they treat her… how she lets them treat her."  
"She broke up with Cedric?"  
Sirius nodded, staring into the fire.  
"Does this have something to do with the bruises that were on her arms after the world cup? She never did tell me the truth about that."  
His friend cringed. "I didn't know she had them after the cup too."  
"Too?" He gasped.  
"Nothing. I said nothing. Nevermind. I'm working on it ok? Just, she's not in danger. That's good… about her boggart I mean."  
"You're freaking me out Padfoot."  
"No, don't be. It's fine. She'll come out of it."  
Remus nodded. He'd let Sirius have this one for now, but the werewolf was worried, especially as he replayed the questions that she`d asked him that evening in his mind.  
On the morning of the first task, Rosie was not nervous. She knew that she had it in the bag. Severus was pacing though. He had asked her like ten times already what she was going to do, and Rose hadn't told him. She hadn't even told him that there would be dragons. Her guardian had followed her into the champions tent grumbling about faulty age lines.  
Cedric had come over to greet her, and Severus glared murderously at her ex-boyfriend as he spoke.  
"Erm… Hi Rose." He seemed to shrink away under the potion's masters stare.  
"Hey Ced." She sighed. They'd been speaking again. Rosie was weak. He hadn't gotten together with Meadow after all, and he still missed her… it was hard to resist that ridiculous pretty boy pleading expression and the hair tussle. They weren't dating again, but she'd told him about the dragons, and they'd shared a few lengthy embraces… and other things after that.  
"I just wanted to wish you good luck and thank you again for giving me a leg up." He smirked.  
Rosie trailed her finger down his chest. "You're welcome. Good luck Ced."  
The boy grinned crookedly and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, turning around and moving back towards where Viktor and Fleur stood.  
Severus sneered. "Should you not be concentrating?"  
"Relax Severus. It'll be a breeze." She shot him a smile and fixed her ponytail.  
"Why must you choose moments such as these to act like your father?" He spat.  
She raised an eyebrow. He must be scared shitless if he was bringing up James Potter like that.  
"Perhaps arrogance has it's virtues." Rosie said, leaning forward to rest her head on his chest… but only for a moment. "Now, Severus. I'll be fine. You know me. I wouldn't say that if it weren't true. Leave. You're just stressing me out. I love you. I'll see you after."  
The man growled as she began to shove him towards the opening in the tent. "Go sit with Moony. I want to see you sitting with Moony."  
Cedric was eying her amusedly when she returned from kicking Severus out. As it turned out, he was chosen to go first. Rose's stomach tightened as he entered into the arena. Ced did not have the same strategy as her, she knew this. He could get hurt. Rosie wanted to watch, but she wasn't allowed. Instead, she stayed back with Krum who was asking her some inane question about wandless casting, like she knew anything about that. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy watching the boy speak… he was very attractive and normally his accent made her weak in the knees. Now just wasn't the time. The task seemed to last forever, and the audience was not helping, shrieking and screaming like they were the ones facing the dragon.  
Finally, Fleur was called to go through. Her task took even longer. By the time it was over, Rosie needed the loo. That would be her issue, not the dragon, but the fact that she had to pee, and nobody would let her leave to do so. Why did she have to be last?  
Rose danced in her spot as Krum went through. He was much quicker than Fleur, she heard a lot of screaming and wondered if the seeker had decided to do battle with the dragon. By the time he was done, Rose just wanted this whole thing to end, because she really had drunk too much water before the task.  
As Rosie stepped out into the arena, he stomach churned with nerves. Not because of the mission at hand, but because everyone was looking at her, and she knew that they would all be looking at her even more in a moment. She found Severus seated next to Moony, his face white as a sheet. Her guardian wasn't looking much better, and it wasn't even close to the full moon. They'd just watched three people try and perform the same task. Sirius seemed to be poised to jump out of his seat and fight a dragon. Oh dear, her poor family.  
Taking a deep breath, Rosie turned away from them and looked at the dragon. She tried not to look too hard because it was huge. Removing her wand from her pocket, Rose picked up a stone off the ground and said a brief incantation. The stone turned into a snake, just as she had practiced. She hissed quietly to herself, commanding the snake to wrap itself around her wrist. She couldn't speak parseltongue if there wasn't a snake around. At this point, nobody had really seen what she'd been up to. Next Rose held her wand up to her throat and cast,  
"Sonorus." As the minister of magic had during the world cup. Voice now magnified, Rosie began to speak. Not at the audience, but to the dragon, keeping the snake around her wrist firmly in mind. She knew that she was about to scare the pants off everyone in the crowd.  
"Hello dragon." She started, fighting the urge to giggle at the stupidity of this. Her voice came out as a strangled hiss. It was creepy, and there was a collective gasp from the spectators.  
The animal turned its head towards her, eyes forming into thin slits.  
"A speaker. What is the purpose of my capture?" The thing growled. It seemed angry.  
"You have been captured to participate in this human activity. There was a golden egg planted in the nest with your real eggs. This is not one of your children. My job, is to come retrieve it so that your eggs can rest peacefully."  
"You wish to enter my nest?"   
"Yes. If I don't, somebody else will, and I will not harm any of your other eggs. I give you my word. However, I cannot promise that others will show you the same courtesy."   
The gigantic reptile heaved itself up with force, and moved over, thumping its body down a few feet from the nest so that Rosie had full view of the golden egg.  
"Thank you. I'll be quick, and then I'll leave you alone."  
"Very well." It replied.  
Rose skipped forward, trying to be fast. She didn't want to chance the dragon's instincts taking over. Picking up the egg in her hands, Rosie looked behind the nest to the door that would lead her out. She took one last look at the dragon and walked through.  
There. She'd participated. That had taken all of… one minute? Give or take a few seconds. She tried not to feel too cocky about it. Karma would probably get her in the next two tasks. Rose was just happy to not have died. As she had expected, nobody really cheered. It was clear that they all thought she was Voldemort reincarnated. Rosie couldn't blame them, but she had to do what she had to do.  
Coming through into the next tent, set up like a hospital, Rose looked around. Cedric was being tended to by a mediwitch. He was burned on one side and wincing in pain. Krum was fine, and Fleur seemed to be under medical care for something as well. Rosie rushed over to where Ced was and he appraised her, staring at the egg in her hand.  
"You're done?!" His eyes were wide.  
She shrugged. "Guess so."  
"Your ponytail is still perfect. What the hell did you even do?" Ced seemed amused but groaned again in pain as the healer began to put a salve on his burns.  
"I just asked it to move."  
"You… what?"  
Rosie held out her arm, lifting the sleeve of her robe and revealing the small snake still coiled around her.  
"You little sneak! Dragons speak parseltongue?!"  
"Apparently." She giggled. "It came at a cost though… I'm pretty sure I terrified everyone watching.  
"I can only imagine."  
"Anyways, I'm glad your alive and all, but I really gotta pee, I'll be back before they announce the winners."  
The boy just shook his head. Oh, she missed him.  
When Rosie exited the tent, she was immediately bombarded. Sirius actually jumped onto her, his eyes still abnormally wide as he gripped her shoulders.  
"How in Merlin's name did we have no idea that you could command dragons?!"  
She laughed a little. "I can't command dragons. Just snakes. I had to ask nicely."  
"Do you have any idea how disturbing that was to watch?"  
Rosie cringed. "Yes, I know, I'm a parselmouth, it's really fucking weird, I heard myself speak."  
"Come here you crazy, weird, precious girl." She heard Moony chuckle from behind, hold his arms out for a hug. Rose shot over to him, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief as he checked to make sure she was indeed still alive.  
Severus approached quietly. He did not make a move to interject into her time with her guardian, favoring instead to stand off to the side, not to close to Sirius of course. When Rose turned to him, he held her stare. She approached cautiously, biting her lip. Severus got down to her level and took her arms in his hands.  
"If you ever withhold that type of information from me again, you will be sorry." He hissed. Rosie took him into a hug, and she was surprised to feel his arms crush her against him. The man bent down and whispered into her ear.  
"You will be the death of me."  
"You are going to be the reason I pee my pants if you don't loosen your grip." She giggled into his shoulder.  
The man released her, and she poked his chest. "I told you I'd be fine."  
He just glared. Rosie still really needed the loo. She excused herself, just catching Severus' sneer of, "Wicked child."  
She spun around and hissed at them, instructing the little snake on her arm to climb up his pant leg, and then she skipped away.


	67. Chapter 67

It had been a week since the first task and Rose was beginning to feel exhausted. She had tied for first place with Krum, losing points in creativity, but gaining them in speed. However, school work, on top of preparing for the tournament, and trying to figure out her egg clue was overwhelming. She hadn't felt this tired since her second year. It didn't help that Rosie hated defense class. Moody was awful. He was cruel, and vulgar, not to mention intimidating as hell.  
Cedric had been trying to worm his way back into the boyfriend spot in her life, and she was so exhausted that she was just letting him, even though it hurt. That made her feel bad about herself. No matter how hard she tried, Rose could not seem to forget Sirius' words to her that night in the practice room, or the subsequent boggart. Those thoughts haunted her, and she felt out of control to stop it. How could she even begin to tackle such deep-rooted issues when she was barely able to keep herself upright on a day to day basis?  
Rosie moaned and her lips parted as Cedric prodded for access to her mouth with his tongue. They had snuck away for a much-needed break in between classes. His hands snaked around her waist, pulling her small form closer into his chest. She fit just right. Slowly, the boy's hand began to travel lower, slipping under her uniform skirt and tucking into her tights. His fingers travelled up towards her center, caressing the now damp spot on her knickers.  
"I missed you Rose." He sighed, slipping a finger inside her.  
"Ugh!" She bucked into him. "I missed you too."  
Cedric allowed another finger to enter her deliberately, curling them together just enough to make her insides squirm and her legs turn to jelly. Rosie ground down onto him. She reacted so easily to his touch. About to lose herself in the abyss, allowing Ced full access to her, they both froze when they heard a knock on the door of the headboy's room.  
"Hey, Ced. Are you in there? We have patrols!"  
It was Meadow. Rosie's arousal died instantly, her body becoming rigid. She pulled away from Cedric and turned her back on him.  
"Rose…" He tried. Meadow knocked again.  
"We're gonna be late, hurry up!"  
"Go." She stated plainly.  
"No… Rose don't be like that please, I thought we were trying to move past this?"  
"Just go with her Ced. It's fine."  
It definitely wasn't fine.  
"I… I have to lock up." He stuttered meekly.  
Rosie stood up, trying to stop the tears from falling. She would not let that girl see her cry. Without another word to Cedric, Rose stalked over to the door and opened it, revealing the stupid pretty cheerleader's dumb face on the other side. She took pleasure in the fact that the girl's smile faltered when Rosie came into view. Channeling Severus, she glared the girl down and kept walking, all the way to the other side of the school.  
She found herself coming to a halt when she could no longer keep the tears in. Rosie wanted to be with Cedric so badly, but she couldn`t do this. She couldn't watch them interact… not for the next two years. It was too much. The other girl made her so self-conscious. Rose only wished she could be that… perfect.  
Burying her face in her hands, Rosie allowed herself then to shed her tears. She wanted her mom. Rose would bet anything that Lily Potter would have some idea of what she ought to do in this situation. Gripping the locket around her neck tightly, the tears turned into sobs. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that her mom died, and her aunt hated her, and the only person who might know what her mom would have been thinking was a man and Rosie just really needed a woman in her life sometimes.  
Trying desperately to pull herself together, Rose straightened out her uniform. She could not show up like this to defense. Moody would eat her alive. The man seemed to pick on her a lot. Sometimes, he just called her to answer questions or to help demonstrate, but sometimes he made subtle jabs at her character, or brought up Lockhart. It would not be a good idea to go to his class already feeling weak, but she couldn't miss another one. Drying her face with her robe sleeve, Rosie made her way to the nearest lavatory to make herself look presentable again.  
When she entered the loo, Rose was immediately made aware that she wasn't alone. Another girl had locked herself in a stall and was crying softly. She immediately sympathized. Still feeling the loss of her mother, Rosie resolved to see if she could reach out. Maybe, this girl needed her mother too. She knocked on the door of the stall.  
"Hey, are you ok?"  
The girl obviously had thought that she was alone, because she startled.  
"Oh! Oui, I…I`m alright."  
Oh Merlin, that was French. What had Rosie gotten herself into now? What was done was done, so she spoke again.  
"Listen, why don't you come out of there. If you cry for too long, you'll attract Moaning Myrtle."  
The girl seemed to hesitate, and the she opened the stall door slowly. Rose had to cover her mouth to hide her shock. Red faced and hiding out in the bathroom stall was none other than Fleur Delacour. The typically cool and confident girl appeared to be in the middle of an emotional breakdown.  
"Fleur… What's wrong? Is everything ok? Are you sick?"  
"Zick! Oui, I am zick!" She sobbed.  
Rosie cringed. "Ok, well, do you want me to go and fetch you a potion…? Or I could walk you to the infirmary."  
"No, it iz of no use, I vill be zick for a long vile now."  
"I'm sorry?" She tried to clarify.  
The girl seemed to be at war with herself. It was clear she needed to talk to somebody, but she had been treating Rosie poorly since they'd met.  
"Fleur, don't worry ok…? I'm not gonna say anything to anyone. I never asked you to dislike me, and I don't dislike you. Whatever you say is in confidence."  
"Oh Rose, I am an eediot! I am zeventeen 'ears old. I should not 'ave zis problem."  
"What's wrong? Just let it out." She tried to soothe.  
"I 'ad unprotected zex, and now I am paying zee consequence."  
Rosie's heart jumped in her chest. This problem was a bit bigger than what she'd been expecting. "Fuck. You're pregnant? Did you test?"  
The older girl covered her face with her hands and nodded. "'Ow can I be pregnant in zis tournament?" Fleur continued, her chest heaving. "I cannot compete in ze final task vith a 'uge stomach! Not to mention my Maman vill be… vraiment en colère!"  
Rosie didn't know what that meant, but she assumed that Fleur's mother would be pissed. She would trade places with the French girl in an instant if it meant that her own mom could be alive enough to be furious with her. Taking a deep breath, she appraised the girl before her. She was the same age as Cedric, but in that moment, she looked like a scorned child. Rose sympathized with her French counterpart…vapid and spiteful as she was, she shouldn't have to deal with this alone. Rosie would not want to deal with that alone if it had been her, which at least on three occasions, it could've been. Remembering that, also called to her mind Moony's words to her in detention.  
"Don't worry, there are potions that would be able to make you not pregnant if by chance you were."  
Pursing her lips, Rose realized what she had to do.  
"Alright. Don't panic Fleur. If I could get ahold of a potion for you… to erm, get rid of it… would that make this better for you?"  
"Rose, 'ow would you possibly manage zat? Eet is not commonly zold. 'Ou would need a potions master." The girl sounded resigned.  
"Yeah, well, that's not a problem. I have one. Let me see what I can do, yeah?"  
For the first time since she'd found the other champion, Rose saw the girl's eyes fill with hope. "'Ou would do zat for me, after 'ow I 'ave treated you?"  
She just shrugged. "It could've been any one of us. Just give me a few days ok? I'll explore the options."  
Fleur fell onto her then, crying, and expressing her gratitude. Rosie hoped she could pull it off. It really would be horrible to be six months pregnant and locked into a binding magical tournament. Severus was going to be so irritated.  
Once Fleur stopped crying, Rosie went to defense. Of course, she was late, and Moody just had to make a comment about that, but otherwise he was pretty tame that day. For some reason, Hermione had gotten it in her head that that night was the night she wanted to have sex for the first time. Rose congratulated her, and then quickly pulled her aside and taught her the contraceptive charm. One pregnant student seemed like enough.  
Later, after defense when she was free and she knew that Severus was too, Rosie began the trek down to the dungeons. Malfoy was in Severus' office again. She hated when Malfoy met with the potions master because it always reminded her that he had been a death eater. They only ever seemed to meet to discuss Draco's father.  
Rosie knocked lightly and Malfoy jumped. He relaxed though when he saw that is was her. Severus eyed the boy carefully.  
"Get out Malfoy, I need to talk to Professor Snape."  
Draco raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Here for a bit of extra credit?" He taunted.  
She could see her guardian's face contort in disgust from behind the blond boy.  
"Pfft. You're just jealous."  
"You bet I am." Malfoy winked, staring pointedly at her breasts.  
Deciding to quit before Severus murdered them, Rosie just shook her head and sat down. Draco stood up, and as he was leaving, pulled on a strand of her hair, hard.  
"Ow, you git!"  
"That's not what you said the other night!" He called back into the office.  
Rose flushed red.  
Severus, who had not spoken yet, appeared livid. That had not been a good way to start this conversation.  
"How is it that in that exchange you not only managed to insinuate impropriety on my part, but also left me with the fear that you were somehow engaged with Draco Malfoy the other night?"  
"Relax Severus, it's just banter. He's not really that mean to me anymore, not after… er, you know, the summer party incident."  
"I do not like you mixing with the Slytherins. Especially, Mr. Malfoy."  
"Yeah well, I don't like Cedric on patrols every day with that girl… but we can't always have what we want."  
"Yes, I have come to the distressing realization that you intend to allow him back into your life. I assume that my opinion regarding Diggory's little… rendezvous is not a deterrent to you."  
"Not really, even though you're probably right. He made me upset again today. I was crying in the corridor."  
Severus cringed visibly. "It pains me to witness the damage that you allow others to inflict upon you."  
"Join the club." She sighed. This was way off topic now. "Anyways, I came here because I need a favor… but you have to promise not to freak out."  
Her guardian raised an eyebrow. "Go on."  
"Erm… I need to know if there is a method… a potion more specifically, that a witch could use to terminate an unwanted pregnancy."  
He froze. "Rose Lily Potter if you mean to tell me…"  
"It's not for me!" She added quickly. "I'm not… no. It's for a friend."  
"For a friend? You have two female friends. I shudder to think that either Miss Granger or Miss Weasley would be in need of a potion such as that."  
"Ok, not really a friend, more like an acquaintance."  
"What makes you think that I would dole out a potion of that magnitude to a student?"  
"Listen, please, I can't tell you who it is, but I can tell you for sure that it would be disastrous and probably dangerous for this girl to be pregnant right now."  
Severus' eyes narrowed. "As it stands, I do not keep that particular potion on hand."  
"I can help you brew it." She offered.  
"It is not by chance Miss Chapman that is in this predicament…is it?"  
Rosie's eyes widened in horror at the thought. "Oh god, don't say that Severus. Please. That's not it." Her eyes began to sting again. She wiped her robe across her face, smothering the tears before they fell.  
"I apologize. I simply am not accustomed to you offering your …brewing services."  
Rose frowned. "I would want someone to help me if I were in that situation. Plus, you said it before, the guy should've thought of it too. It shouldn't be just Fl…erm, her who has to pay the consequences."  
"Hmm. Why the sudden concern for Miss Delacour? I was under the impression that you were not… on good terms."  
Of course, he'd guessed already.  
"I don't know, I've just been thinking a lot about my mom lately, and I just… felt like me helping Fleur connected me to her somehow."  
"You are always connected to your mother child."  
"Thanks Severus, but still, I want to help her. Imagine how awful it would be to have to compete in the third task like that. She'd already be showing and everything."  
He nodded. "Very well. As you seem adamant, I will brew it, but you will assist, and Miss Delacour will be required to see a mediwitch after it is ingested."  
Rosie agreed readily, and they set a day to brew it. She respected Severus very much for helping.  
When Rose showed up a week later with the finished potion for Fleur, the girl was over the moon. Her whole body seemed to sag with relief.  
"Rose, you 'ave saved my life. 'Ow can I return ze favor?"  
"No, you're fine Fleur, really. Just feel better."  
"No. I inseest. Let me take 'ou to buy a new dress. For ze Yule Ball."  
She stopped in her tracks then. "For the what?"


	68. Chapter 68

The Yule Ball, as it so happened, was mandatory to attend… for Rose anyways. She was disappointed because it would take place on the twenty fifth in the evening, which mean that she would have less time to spend on that day with her family. Fleur's offer proved to be quite useful, because Rosie did not have an appropriate dress for such an event, and there was still a Hogsmeade weekend coming up before the ball. She'd invited Hermione and Ginny to go as well so that they could all approve each other's dresses. The other girls were apprehensive to be going with Fleur, but Rosie was beginning to like the French champion.  
The stupid ball had been causing her almost as much anxiety as the first task. In fact, it felt almost as though it should count as the second task. After the dress problem was sorted, the date problem began. Cedric stood in front of her, his eyes hopeful as he asked Rose to attend the ball with him.  
"I just… I know we're not exactly together right now Rose, but I still care about you, a lot. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather go with."  
She wanted to cry. "Ced… I… I don't think I can. I'm so sorry."  
"What? Why?" He looked hurt.  
"Because I don't want to feel this way Cedric. I don't want to feel like everyone's going to be staring all night wondering what kind of pathetic little thing I am to go back to you after…"  
"Seriously Rose?" He cut her off. "You're going to let what people will say affect your decision? I didn't think you were like that."  
"Oh, Shut up. You can be such a jerk sometimes Ced. For your information, I've been dealing with people's stares, whispers, and rumors all year long. Everyone already looks at me and the first thing they think about is Lockhart. So, excuse me for not wanting to attract more negative attention. Maybe if you hadn't fucked the head girl behind my back, things would be different!"  
Rosie was getting riled up now.  
"Will you get over it Rose!? Honestly, it was one time, and I was pissed. I already told you it wouldn't happen again."  
"But it did happen! It happened and everyone knows about it!"  
"Whose fault is that?!" He countered.  
"I said no Ced. I don't know what we are right now… but we're not together, and I have no obligation to go with you. Please, just find someone else. I'm sorry."  
"Who else am I supposed to go with Rose? I want to go with you."  
"You know what Ced? Why don't you just go with her? Go with fucking Meadow. I can't do this."  
"Don't say that Rose, please, c'mon, you're the only one I want."  
"I don't believe you." She choked.  
"Hey. Don't talk that way." His voice dropped lower. "Honestly, I love you. You're the only one I see, the only one I look at. What happened with Meadow was a mistake. I know it and she does too. I want you back."  
"Ced…I'm not ready."  
The boy moved closer, cupping his hand around her elbow softly and drawing Rosie in. He sighed.  
"Alright. We can go separately if that makes you feel better. I just want you to be happy… If that's what it takes, then fine, but will you at least save a dance for me?"  
She nodded, letting her head hang. "I'm really sorry Ced, I just need more time. Can't we just be friends for a while? No strings, no sex, just friends? Then maybe we can see… after the ball, after the next task?"  
The boy's face fell, and he grimaced, but he agreed. Rosie pulled him into a hug, pressing her face into his chest and inhaling his scent. She really did want to go with him, but the wounds were still so fresh.  
Rose turned to leave, and her eyes widened as she spun around and realized that they had an audience. Professor McGonagall and Moony were standing off the side frowning. Shit. She'd been so carried away that Rosie had forgotten about her lesson with Moony. Cedric cleared his throat uncomfortably.  
"Professor Lupin, Professor McGonagall." He began.  
Moony had a look on his face that she seldom saw… it was the same expression he used when assigning detention.  
"Mr. Diggory." He nodded curtly. That nod told Rosie exactly how long they'd been standing there.  
"Moony, I'm so sorry, I forgot about our lesson."  
Her guardian's frown lifted the moment she spoke. "Not to worry sweet pea, there's still time."  
Professor McGonagall, who had thus far been silent, opened her mouth and turned to Ced.  
"Mr. Diggory, I do believe that there are some prefects over in the second-floor corridor in need of instruction, if you would be so kind." Her voice was sharp.  
Cedric grimaced again and shot her one last pained expression before scampering off.  
Rosie fiddled awkwardly with her hair. The professor tried to smile gently at her. "Miss Potter, I do hope you are well."  
"I'm alright Professor. Thank you."  
Moony motioned then for her to follow him. He did not speak as they walked until he was sure that there was nobody around.  
"I had heard of your break up with Cedric from Sirius of course, but I wasn't aware of the specifics." He began.  
Rosie's stomach turned in knots. "Severus found them together." Her eyes were stinging now.  
"Oh sweetie." The werewolf sighed as they arrived at the training room. "I'm so sorry. You must be feeling so confused."  
That was the last straw. She turned to him and her composure snapped.  
"Oh Moony. I don't know what to do! I don't even want to go to this dumb ball, and I did want to go with Cedric. I love him, honest, but I just can't. I can't because of stupid Meadow. I'm so jealous. Every time I see her my chest hurts, and I feel bad about myself. Maybe if I were prettier, or less messed up, or happier…he wouldn't've."  
Her guardian stopped her. "Honey. I wish you wouldn't say things like that. You are the most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on." He soothed, pulling her into him.  
"You're just saying that." She sobbed.  
"I would never lie to you Princess. Nobody should ever make you feel bad about who you are."  
"Just… don't hate Cedric, please. I'm not an innocent bystander in all of this, I've done things too. We're just, having a rough time right now."  
Moony sighed. "I know Rose. You are very rarely… an innocent bystander. I'm not naïve, but you must understand. I only want to see you content. It hurts me to see you hurting."  
She bit her lip. "Let's just forget about it, ok? I'm not going to the ball with Ced, so now I have to find someone else to go with, which is stressful enough, and to top it all off, I can't dance. Like not even a little bit."  
The corners of Moony mouth turned up slightly. "Well… I think that I might be able to help you with that part at least." He smiled.  
"Wait… you can dance?" Her eyes widened.  
He winked. "Go turn on the record player."  
Rosie hurried over to do as he said. When she returned, Moony did a little bow and held out his hand. She giggled and took it.  
"May I have this dance?" He asked smoothly.  
"Mmm, a gentleman. Why are you my godfather again?" Rose teased.  
"Love, I must be frank with you. That was the least seductive phrase I've ever heard." His eyes were alight with mirth.  
"Prat!" she nudged him.  
Moony put his hand on her waist, and she put hers on his shoulder. He taught her first the basic steps for a waltz.  
"Could James dance?" Rosie asked as they waltzed.  
"James? Oh yes. He and Sirius both were excellent dancers. All pureblood raised boys are."  
She smiled. "Moony, can I ask you something?"  
"I believe you just did." He taunted.  
"That was such a dad joke."  
"I thought it was quite funny."  
Rosie stuck her tongue out.  
"What was your question dear?"  
"Erm… do you think he would be cross with me for having other… father figures?" She tried to word the question carefully.  
Moony paused, slowing his step.  
"You are wondering because of Severus?" He clarified.  
"Well, yeah Severus, but you too. I mean, I would definitely consider you to be…like that for me."  
For a moment, something passed across her guardian's face, perhaps the ghost of a smile, and then he became serious once again.  
"Darling, your father wouldn't be…cross. He loved you fiercely, and I know that he wouldn't want you to suffer. However, knowing him as I did, I can't say that he wouldn't be, possibly, a little…jealous perhaps."  
"Jealous?"  
"Well, it should not come as a surprise that he expected and intended to raise you and be that figure in your life. Obviously, he did not get the chance to do that, so yes, I think he would be jealous. I'm one hundred percent positive that that would not translate into any ill will towards you though princess."  
Rosie frowned. "Sometimes I worry about that."  
"Which part honey?" Moony twirled her.  
"That he would be mad at me for loving Severus."  
Her guardian exhaled, pulling her back as they resumed the dance. "No Rosie. He would never be mad at you."  
"He would be angry with Severus though, wouldn't he?" She prodded.  
"I wish I could give you an answer to that my girl, but you have to understand… at that time, if somebody were to have told James that he would die, and that Severus would raise you…it would have been completely unthinkable."  
"Because he was a death eater?"  
"That…yes, but he and James, they were bitter enemies sweet pea. They really were. It wasn't like you and Draco Malfoy, it was on a different level than that. Severus was… unpleasant, to say the least, and your father was a hot head."  
Her stomach turned in knots. "Severus said…nevermind."  
Moony pursued his lips. "What did Severus say?" Rosie could tell he was working to keep his voice neutral.  
"He said that you guys were bullies, well, not you exactly… but James and Sirius."  
He stopped dancing.  
"I see." Moony sighed. Then he wrapped his arms around her tightly and rested his chin on the top of her head.  
"I wish that I could just wash away all the sins of the past for you sweetheart, I really do."  
"So, they were bullies then?"  
She could tell that he was reluctant to speak. "There was a lot of bad blood. James and Sirius did specifically target Severus, and Severus did retaliate. Sometimes, your father…could get a bit out of hand."  
Rosie was silent for a long time.  
"I was bullied, a lot."  
Moony broke the embrace and pulled back to look at her.  
"Dudley and his friends… they used to chase me around and beat me up, call me names. Sometimes, they would hold me to the ground and force me to…say bad things about my parents before they would let me up. They teased me for having only the ugly clothes that Aunt Petunia bought from the second-hand shop."  
Her guardian did not seem to know what to say. His face held a seemingly permanent frown.  
"Sometimes…sometimes I wonder, if my mom and Severus were really friends… why she would have chosen to be with someone who hurt him like that. I mean, I would be pretty hurt if Ginny started dating Dudley."  
Rosie could tell that she was testing the limits of Moony's composure at that point.  
"Severus was not an innocent victim." He replied, his voice taking on a hard quality to it.  
"Neither was I." She shrugged. "I used to lash out at Dudley sometimes."  
Moony snapped. "Honey. Please. I wish that I could fix this for you, you have no idea how much… but I can't lie to you. What I can tell you is that your father loved you more than anything else in the world. He would have done anything for you. He also loved your mother and she loved him. Nothing is ever perfect, but despite the war, they were deliriously happy. James Potter was one of my dearest friends, and he grew up to be a great man. I promise you that."  
There were tears brimming in her eyes now. Rosie bet that Piers would say the same thing about Dudley when they were older too. She bet that Aunt Marge would say that Uncle Vernon was a good man. Rose even knew that some people still swore up and down that Lockhart was a hero.  
"Please don't hate me Moony. I'm sorry for asking." She stuttered, hiding her face. Rose could not stand the thought of her guardian being upset with her.  
He seemed to take a moment to regroup and then pried her hands away from her face.  
"No, my sweet girl., I'm sorry. I was never given lessons one how to do this. I'm really trying to find a middle ground here because I don't want to damage the way that you see your father, and I also do not wish to insult Severus to you."  
Rosie nodded. "Let's just dance again." She suggested. "I really need to learn how to dance."  
Moony kissed her forehead. "Alright my love."  
She began to tell him about the upcoming dress shopping excursion, and he tried to suggest a few people that Rose could go to the ball with. Of course, being Moony, he picked a handful of the least appealing people in Gryffindor house. There was nothing wrong with Neville, Fred or George, Colin Creevey, or Oliver Wood apart from the fact that they did not quite give off the vibe she was looking for. She wanted Ced to be jealous like she was.  
Telling him about Malfoy wouldn't do a damn thing because he'd just be grossed out by her. Rose wanted to go with someone who would make him squirm like she did every time Meadow walked by.  
Remus left the lesson with his goddaughter perturbed. He was concerned that Rose's relationship with James, or lack thereof, was due in part to the rivalry between he and Severus, especially now that she could see the aftershocks of that rivalry in Severus and Sirius.  
Instead of heading home, he walked down to the dungeons. It was never pleasant discussing anything with Snape, but for Rose's sake, he had to try. He knocked on the door lightly, and waited to be permitted entry, which was a courtesy that the other man would not have afforded him. Snape always seemed to have an endless stack of papers to be marked.  
"Severus. Hello." He greeted.  
The man just sneered in his direction. Remus could not understand for the life of him how sweet Rosie was able to suck affection out of the ex-death eater.  
"What is it Lupin?" He said impatiently.  
"I wanted to discuss Rose with you Severus. I have noticed a disturbing trend with her."  
"If it is the fact that she seems to have a masochistic desire to inflict Cedric Diggory upon herself, or that she is hell bent on remaining in a constant state of emotional turmoil, then I am already aware."  
"No, it's something else. Tonight, in her lesson, she was asking me questions about her father, and it did not go very well."  
The man raised his eyes, and expression of boredom on his face.  
"This is my issue because…?"  
"I think that she has some conflicted feelings about him that stem from you, and I would like you to talk with her about it."  
"I do not discuss Potter with Rose."  
"Yes, I'm saying that perhaps you should." Remus insisted.  
Snape sighed. "What exactly has she said?"  
"Aside from referring to him exclusively as James, she has now equated the bullying that she suffered at the hands of her cousin, with her father's treatment of you."  
"And the problem is?" Snape asked lazily.  
"Severus. She told me she worries that James would be upset with her because she loves you. Rose is very disturbed by the enmity between you and him. She actually asked me why her mother would choose to be with James if he treated you the way that he did."  
The potions master's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. "I cannot force Rose to see things differently. As I said, I do not discuss Potter with the girl. It is not my fault that she has come to such negative conclusions."  
"I think that you need to give her permission to love her father Severus." He said bluntly.  
Now the man appeared shocked. "You dare suggest that I would tell that child not to form an attachment to her father? She does not need my permission."  
"That is your perspective, but I think that she feels that she needs your permission. I'd imagine that if she is worried her father would be cross with her for loving you, that she probably feels that you would be displeased if she expressed love for James.  
"Did she use those words?" Severus scowled.  
"Not exactly no, but you should see how she is when you aren't around. Rose is so…protective of you. She gets very defensive. Sirius cannot say a word against you around the house without her reacting. Obviously, she would be affected by your hatred of her father, even if you do not outright discuss it."  
The potions master rubbed his face and sighed. "I will rouse the issue with her." He conceded.  
"That's all I ask. Thank you, Severus."  
Rosie did a little twirl, showing off the dress that Ginny had picked off the shelf for her.  
"Oooh… Rose it's so sexy!"  
It was indeed. The dress was backless, with a plunging neckline. It hugged her body very nicely.  
"Yeah, Gin, it is, but I don't think that it would match Severus' cape, which is exactly what I'll be wearing if I show up to the ball in this." Rosie said dryly.  
"That's what I said." Hermione interjected. "Try my pick now!"  
The dress that Mione had chosen would be appropriate for Rose, if she were joining a convent. Severus would love it. It had a high neckline, long sleeves, and flared out at her waist, leaving absolutely everything to the imagination.  
"I don't zink zat zis is exactly ze dress for you Rose." Fleur jumped in. Hermione glared.  
"Well. I don't think that Rose needs to walk around with everything hanging out either." Her friend snapped.  
"I did not say zat she needed to do zat. Ze idea iz to be subtle but sexy. For example, look at zis dress." Fleur motioned. "It is understated in ze arms but hugs ze chest nicely. Here, it extends only just above 'er navel, and zen 'ou can zee a bit of stomach. Zen, ze skirt is flattering. I zink you should try on zis one Rose."  
As it turned out, Fleur had been right. The dress was a midnight blue, which contrasted nicely with her skin and made her eyes pop. It was a two piece. The top had sleeves, and was tight, but covered in patterned lace. The skirt flowed down just above her bellybutton, so that a tiny flash of stomach was showing, creating just a touch of sex appeal. Severus would still hate it, but he probably wouldn't try to cover her with his cloak if she wore this one. Rose resolved to buy Fleur's pick. It went nicely with her locket too, which was important. There was no way that she wasn't taking her mother to the ball with her.  
Ginny, who was too young to attend alone but was invited by Dean, chose a shorter dress, in white and green. It went very nicely with her red hair. Hermione would wear pink. Rosie thought that with a little smoothening charm for her curls, Mione could steal the show. She looked very pretty.  
As the girls walked back from the village, Fleur discussed in detail exactly what she planned to do with Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw boy who had invited her, causing Mione to blush and Ginny's eyes to go wide. Rosie enjoyed it. Fleur had a lot of interesting tips. Hermione, who had bucked up the courage to have sex with Ron, was reluctant to discuss how it went, but she did say that it wasn't as painful as she had thought. Poor Ginny was thoroughly disturbed as she listened to the brief account. Dean was not pressuring her, but she had always been precocious, and caught up in the moment with the other girls, her redheaded friend seemed inclined to follow suit the night of the Yule Ball. She made Mione swear not to tell Ron.  
The only issue was that Rosie still did not have a date, and the ball was only a couple weeks away. Ced was going to go with Heidi Macavoy, a chaser on the Hufflepuff quidditch team. He knew better than to actually go with Meadow. In fact, he seemed to know exactly what he should do to regain Rosie's favor because Heidi, sweet as she was, did not make her jealous at all. Resigning herself to keep waiting, Rosie allowed herself to enjoy the time with her girlfriends and Fleur.


	69. Chapter 69

Severus had sent Rosie off on the train home for the holidays promising that he would show up on Christmas. The full moon had been the night before and Moony was so weak he couldn't apparate to King's Cross, so Sirius came to get her.  
"Sirius!" She bounded over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She'd been having lessons twice a week with Moony and once a week with Sirius since the first task, so she'd been seeing her ex-godfather less.  
"Heya Rosie!" He beamed, spinning her around as he often did. "How are ya?"  
"Mm. Better now." She responded, her chin resting on his shoulder.  
He pulled away and winked. "Diggory still given' you a hard time?"  
"Yup. Pretty much every day. I finally found a date to that blasted ball though."  
"Ohhh, do tell. Who'll be moved to this top of Snape's hit list this holiday season?"  
"Siri don't." Rosie whined.  
"I'm just kidding. Who is it?"  
"Ok, if I tell you, you actually can't tell Severus. He is gonna kill me."  
"Oh god, you're not going with the Malfoy kid, are you?"  
"No, he's got a girlfriend remember?"  
"Right. Well then...spill."  
"I'm kinda going with Krum." She said awkwardly, fiddling with her hair.  
Sirius' eyes widened. "Like Viktor Krum? The world-famous seeker?"  
"Er… yes that one."  
"Good god, you sure do know how to pick'em don't you." He rubbed his face. "Isn't Krum like twenty-five?"  
"He's eighteen Siri. Only a year older than Ced. Please please don't mention it to Severus though."  
"When have you ever seen me talk to Snape on purpose?"  
"Ugh, thank you. I do not want to wind up going with Neville."  
"Wait…if Ol'Snapey told you no, you wouldn't go with Krum?"  
"Probably not, which is why he can't find out until it's too late."  
"You're so weird Rosie." Siri groaned then. "This is a revenge thing isn't it? You're just out to make Diggory jealous…"  
"I would never do something like that." Rosie said, her voice laced with mock seriousness, eyes wide and innocent.  
"Sweet Merlin, you just sounded so much like your dad there for a second." Sirius shook his head smiling.  
"Really?"  
"You have no idea honey, but different at the same time… you know like James but…"  
"With a vagina?" Rosie filled in.  
Sirius coughed. "That wasn't exactly what I was going to say… but yeah, I guess. You're girl James."  
"Not quite." Rose corrected. "I have much nicer hair than he did."  
"Well, you're not wrong there."  
"Hmm, who was more attractive? You or him?"  
"Was? Hey you're so mean!"  
"Well I can't very well judge you and him side by side now."  
"You little…" Siri didn't finish his sentence, instead, he wrapped his arms around her, pivoted, and apparated them into Moony's cottage with one smooth spin. He caught her as they landed, and his fingers moved instantly to her sides, digging into her ribs, and causing Rose to double over in a fit of laughter.  
"Siri stoooop!" She wailed, tears brimming in her eyes as he tickled her.  
"You take it back!" He commanded playfully.  
"N…noo!"  
His fingers found the backs of her knees and Rosie fell to the floor, writhing under his touch. "You're gonna make me pee myself Siri, stop!"  
"Not until you admit it was a lie!"  
"Fine! Fine, you're very handsome, much handsomer than James." She cried and he let her go.  
Rosie opened her eyes to see Moony staring down at them, face straining to maintain a grin. Sirius rolled over and held out his hand to help her up. She found her way into Moony's arms and he laughed against her.  
"Don't be too offended Padfoot, it's just her Oedipus complex talking, of course she would find James more attractive."  
Rosie gasped. "Moony, you traitor!"  
"Hello Princess." He smiled.  
Her face softened, as it always did when Moony was around. "Hey." She grinned. "You should lie down."  
"I'm alright sweet pea."  
"No, lay down, I'll make you some tea." Rose insisted, directing him onto the couch. She held her hand to his forehead, making sure he didn't have a temperature, and fixed a pillow under his neck.  
"You're such a little mother Rose. It'll be weird to see you with kids of your own one day."  
Rosie made a face. "I'll stick to dogs.  
"Really? I would've thought you'd want that."  
"Why? So that I can die and fuck them up too? I'll pass."  
"Honey." Moony admonished.  
"I'm just going to live with you forever and ever." She patted his head. "Plus, somebody has to take care of Severus."  
"Well, fine then. I'm not going to argue that." The corner of his mouth turned up and he lay back against the pillow.  
"So, I just happened to notice that there is no Christmas tree here…" Rose changed the subject. "I want one."  
"You do?" Moony frowned. "I'm sorry darling, I didn't even think about it." Then her guardian looked beyond her, and his face contorted in laughter.  
"Honey, I think Sirius wants to take you out to find one."  
Sure enough, when Rosie turned around, the other man was practically bouncing on the couch behind her.  
"Oooh, can we? I've never cut down my own Christmas tree!" She squealed.  
"Yeah but you can't use magic outside of the house. I'll have to do it Rosie."  
She smiled. "Well, we could always buy an axe."  
"A what?"  
Sirius only protested a little when Rose dragged him to the store where Moony worked to pick out an axe. His eyes widened at the sight of her holding the weapon.  
"Rosie…precious… are you sure we need that thing?"  
"Positive." She winked. "Don't worry, I used to chop wood for the fire at the Dursleys all the time."  
"Your relatives gave you one of these things when you were a child…?"  
"Well they sure as hell weren't gonna do it." She waved it off.  
When they got up to the register to pay, the person working must have recognized Sirius because he smiled. "So, you must be the daughter that Remus is so fond of. Rose is it?"  
Pride swelled in Rosie's chest and her eyes stung. She'd never been anyone's daughter before.  
"That's me. Nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand.  
As they left, she had to wipe her eyes with her coat sleeve, trying to hide the tears. Sirius was unfortunately very observant, and he stopped her.  
"Heya, Rosie, what's wrong?" He put his hand on her shoulder.  
"Sorry. I…I've never been called that before. I'm just really happy."  
His eyes widened and then his mouth turned down. "That's really sad hon." Sirius choked, he looked like he might start crying too.  
"Let's go chop down a tree." She shot him a watery smile.  
He draped his arm over her and sighed.  
The novelty faded as they tramped through the snowy forest, feet cold and wet, and lungs on fire. "I think we're out of shape Siri." She exhaled, coming up behind him.  
"Ya think? Twelve years in prison will do that to a person."  
"Tell me about it." Rosie concurred.  
Sirius shot her a strange look, and then motioned for her to get on his back.  
"Wait, your actually gonna carry me?" She giggled.  
"Quickly before you make me change my mind."  
Rose ambled over to him and climbed onto his back. Siri was so strange, but she was tired, so she wasn't going to refuse. He brought them deeper into the woods, and the made commentary on several trees as they went, but the conversation quickly turned to other subjects.  
"You know, I really hate the bloody cold." Sirius began.  
"I can imagine…" She breathed. "I fell off my broom, two hundred feet in the air when those fucking things came close to me. I wouldn't last two minutes in Azkaban."  
"You did?" His voice was surprised.  
"Yup. I didn't have any memories of my own… of what happened with Lockhart until I met the dementors."  
"Oh man… I never thought about how you got the memories back."  
"Yeah, the best Severus could do for me was collect his thoughts, but it wasn't even close to the same as actually remembering." Her tone was soft and cautious.  
"I always saw… your dad, you know, all dead and such. I was there that night. I went into the house after you survived. I was gonna take you, until Hagrid showed up."  
"Talk about a series of shitty choices." Rosie commented.  
She could almost feel him cringe. "No Siri, I just meant, you would've suffered a lot less. I'm not mad at you for that…"  
"You had it pretty rough at that Dursley place, didn't you?" He interjected.  
"Meh. It doesn't matter. Really. I'm not there anymore."  
"Your uncle never like… did anything to you? Did he?"  
"Oh gross, no, nothing like that." She shuddered. "He was a real mean drunk, but he never touched me like that. I didn't know what any of that stuff was until Lockhart."  
"God, and nobody noticed that shit for half a year? Really?"  
Rosie sighed. "Nope. I will never forget how uncomfortable it was to have Severus give me the sex talk." She laughed, trying to lighten the mood.  
"Yeah… that sounds… awful. No wonder you're like this." He shook his head.  
"Like what?"  
"You know, all submissive and stuff."  
"I'm not always like that."  
"I know, but you are when it counts and that's the scary part."  
"Yeah. You fucking scared me to death Sirius. You changed my boggart, from a dementor. That means I'm more afraid of myself than the literal definition of fear."  
"Well good. I'm glad you're taking what I said to heart."  
"I am… I've been doing a lot of thinking."  
"About what?"  
"How much of a git you are." She leaned forward, whispering in his ear."  
"Brat." He growled, and pulled her off of his back, tossing her playfully into the snow. Sirius began to make snowballs, aiming them at her head, and dodging the ones that she retaliated with.  
It took a while, but they did finally locate an appropriately sized tree. It took even longer for Rose to convince Siri to let her use the axe, and then it took at least another half an hour for them to decide how to use the axe to chop down a tree. When they did return to Moony's cottage, their faces were pink, and their ears were numb. Her godfather had mustered up enough strength to make them all hot chocolate, and they spent the rest of the evening setting up the tree and decorating it.  
On Christmas morning, Moony was not the one to rouse Rosie, instead, she awoke to the sound of Padfoot scratching at her door.  
"Hey Sweetie." She sighed blearily, motioning for him to jump up on the bed. Sirius was a lot more docile as a dog. Padfoot lay down beside her on his back, legs in the air, and turned his head to face her. His tongue lolled out lazily and he shut his eyes.  
"Merry Christmas weirdo." Rosie giggled as she began to scratch his belly.  
They must have fallen asleep again, because when Rose awoke next, it was not to Moony, but to Severus. He stood over her bed glaring down at Padfoot. Excitement bubbled in her chest. It was such a rare treat to have everyone she loved in the same place.  
"Severus!" Rosie shot out of bed, wrapping her arms around the man, a smile on her face.  
Padfoot woke up too and growled when he noticed the potions master.  
"I was under the impression that you slept alone." Severus drawled, still appraising Sirius intently over her shoulder.  
"Relax Severus, he's a dog."  
"No, he is not." Her guardian grumbled, as she reached back to pat the canine's head, and began to pull the dour man from the room.  
Moony was making breakfast, and he kissed her as she descended the stairs.  
"Merry Christmas Princess." He whispered, winking at her, and turned back to the food.  
The tree looked very pretty, and there were presents stacked under it. This was Rosie's third Christmas receiving presents, and she quite enjoyed it.  
"I missed you Severus." She spoke, smiling at her first guardian.  
"Indeed. It has been a quiet holiday."  
That was Severus speak for he missed her too.  
He had taken a spot on the couch and was sitting stiffly, his face hard and uncomfortable. He was so awkward. Rosie wasn't going to let him sit alone, so she sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Severus usually relaxed just a tiny bit more if she acted as his human contact shield.  
Sirius came sauntering down the stairs a moment later, pulling a shirt over his head, and yawning.  
"Morning Moony, Prongslet, Snivellus." He greeted, wrinkling his nose.  
Rosie hissed from her spot on the couch. He knew she hated that name. It was thanks to that horrible nickname that Rose was getting better every lesson at throwing off the Imperius curse. Sirius was hard pressed to get her to say it.  
Moony shot a warning look towards her ex-godfather and ushered him into the kitchen to help with the food.  
"I'm sorry, I know you don't like being here." She apologized softly.  
"It is of no consequence." He replied. "If you wish me to be here, I will stay."  
"You're such a martyr." Rosie teased, but then looked at him seriously. "I really do appreciate it though. I haven't had a lot of good Christmases."  
He nodded.  
"Plus, I think this might be my last holiday ever, because, nobody knows what that stupid egg is screeching about yet."  
"Do not speak that way. You must ask the other champions again."  
"Trust me Severus, Ced would do anything to get in my pants again right now. He would tell me, and Fleur owes me one. I'm also reasonably sure that Viktor would give me a clue at least. Nobody knows."  
The potions master cringed. "I rather despise listening to you describe your relationships. I was not aware that you were on a first name basis with Mr. Krum."  
Of course, Sirius chose that moment to walk into the room. "Oh, I think they're on a first name basis." He smirked devilishly.  
Rosie froze. He was such a git. The Yule Ball was that evening, and he knew that Severus wouldn't have time to find her another partner by then, except maybe Neville.  
Her guardian turned sharply to look at her. "What exactly is Black insinuating?"  
She flushed and turned away. "He is not insinuating anything. Right Sirius?"  
"No of course not Rosie dearest." The man replied mechanically.  
Severus growled. "Rose Potter, you will clarify this instant the nature of your relationship with Viktor Krum."  
Glaring at Sirius, who was trying to muffle his laughter, Rosie sighed.  
"It's nothing Severus. We're just going to the ball together. That's all."  
He stilled.  
"Absolutely not. I forbid it." Severus snapped, his face contorting in anger.  
"You can't stop me Severus. I can't go with Cedric and he's the one who asked. I'm going with Viktor."  
"You are not going with Mr. Krum."  
"Why not? Who am I supposed to go with then? You know I have to dance in front of everyone right?!"  
"It is not appropriate. You will just have to find someone else."  
"The ball is tonight! I'm asking Moony." She huffed, glaring at him.  
"Ask your wolf all you want, but I am saying no."  
"Tell me why Severus? Why do you want me to be miserable? I don't want to go with Neville. He'll step on my toes and he'll be too scared to put his hand on my waist!"  
"Rose. Listen to me. Viktor Krum is not a boy. He is a man. He is far too old for you. You are not going to the ball with him."  
"He's only one year older than Ced!"  
"Yes, and we have long established my feelings regarding Mr. Diggory. I will not have it. You will go with Longbottom."  
Rosie bared down. "I'm going with him and you can't stop me. What's the problem? It's just a dance."  
"Somehow, I do not believe you. Look me in the eyes and swear that you do not intend to sleep with Krum in some elaborate scheme to get revenge on Diggory."  
She turned away. That was exactly her intention and he knew it. "So what if I do? What does it matter? It's just sex."  
Severus closed his eyes in frustration. "Child. You should not be using sex as a tool to manipulate others."  
"Why?"  
The potions master growled and clenched his fist as though he might hit something.  
"Rose. I told you no. You will respect my wishes."  
I'm going to go with Viktor."  
"Rose Lily Potter, do not defy me."  
"Severus, you're being a dick. Stop. It's my right to decide who I go with."  
Her guardian's voice dropped now into a lower register, his tone biting.  
"Fine. Go with him then, but when you are scared, and you don't feel like such an adult anymore, don't come crying to me."  
"Why are you being so mean?" Rosie's voice cracked. She didn't like it when Severus got mad like this.  
"Because I am trying to protect you child."  
"Well stop! I don't need protection. You guys all think I'm so weak and I'm tired of it! I'm not going to break!"  
"I do not think that you are weak. My fear is that others are too strong."  
That made Rose shiver. "Please don't fight with me Severus. I promise I'll tell you if he tries to do anything that I don't want."  
"I do not trust you to follow through with that Rose. How many people have hurt you that I do not have any idea about? Do enlighten me."  
"I don't wanna talk about this." Rosie dug in her heels.  
"Of course not. Which is exactly why my answer remains no."  
"You can't do that Severus. You're not my father."  
"A fact I am most acutely aware of." He drawled again. "If it is your father's opinion that you desire, then I suggest you ask your dogs."  
"I hate you!" Rosie growled, spinning around to push his arm away.  
Sirius scoffed. "It's a Christmas miracle."  
"Sirius." Moony chided, coming into the room. He must have heard them arguing.  
"Sorry, I'm just proud of our Rosie here for putting Sniv in his place."  
The potions master seemed to be on the verge of a particularly nasty glare when Rose interjected.  
"Don't use that bloody nickname Sirius. You know I don't like it."  
"Hey! I thought we hated Snape now."  
"I'm just mad at him ok? That doesn't mean you get to call him that!"  
Sirius shook his head. "You're worse than your mother."  
Rosie growled and Moony stepped in. "Alright honey, why don't we sit down to eat."  
"Not until Severus gives me permission."  
The potions master rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. "Rose. If it is permission you desire, you will not receive it. That is the end of this discussion."  
"Severus, can we revisit this subject later?" Moony exhaled.  
"Stay out of it Lupin."  
"Please Severus… please please please." She looked up at him with her eyes wide and her bottom lip stuck out.  
"Child, you are testing my patience."  
"So, let me. You know I can't if you say no. Don't make me go with Neville, please. I'll do anything. Just let me have this. It's not even a given that I'll sleep with him, he'd have to agree."  
"Oh yes, what a difficult task that will be to accomplish."  
"This is a really weird conversation." Sirius pointed out.  
"Yeah well, that's what happens when I have the sex police following me around all the time." Rosie snarled at Severus.  
"Perhaps, you would not be under suspicion if you chose people your own age to pursue."  
"What's the difference Severus? Honestly. Count your blessings that I'm not after my professors, or Moony. Do you know how sweet Moony is? He would make a great lover."  
Her guardian choked and coughed from the couch. "Um, Rosie, my love, please do not ever say that again."  
"I'm sorry Moony, I have boundary issues."  
"Rose. This is not a joke. It is not humorous. You should not speak this way, and you will not be attending the ball with Viktor Krum."  
"Urghhh, you are just the worst Severus! This is so embarrassing, I've already told him yes."  
"Then tell him no. You will go with Longbottom."  
"Fine, but I'm gonna have sex with someone really weird at the ball and you're gonna regret this. I'll sleep with Malfoy, or Goyle."  
Sirius let out a snort of laughter.  
Severus' eyes widened. "You will do no such thing."  
"Then let me go with Viktor. Please. C'mon, I'll be with Ginny and Hermione for most of the time anyways."  
Her guardian sighed long and low. "Do what you wish Rose, but like I said, do not come crying to me."  
Breakfast was a silent affair after that. Rosie was glaring at Sirius, who was locked in a staring match with Severus as Moony tried to conduct damage control.  
Rose stuck out her bottom lip and rested her chin on her hands. "Why can't everybody just get along?" She tried. "I feel like I have to pick sides. I won't sleep with stupid Viktor if we can just have a good Christmas. Please?"  
Moony looked up towards Severus sharply. They seemed to be having a silent conversation. After a moment, Severus sighed, and Moony grasped her shoulders in his hands.  
"Let's open presents. Shall we sweet pea?"  
When they were all seated around the tree, Rosie looked for the gifts that she'd gotten for them. It had been easy to buy for Moony and Sirius. They liked everything. She'd gotten Moony some books and a new cloak, and for Sirius, she'd contracted the twins to make some special pranking supplies, and she'd purchased tickets to another quidditch game in the summer.  
Severus was the tricky one. He hated everything. It wasn't like he needed potions ingredients, and Rosie imagined that he would be disgusted if she tried to buy him an item of clothing that wasn't black. She resolved instead to get him a much simpler gift.  
The potions master raised an eyebrow when she handed him the tiny package. It was thin and delicate. He apparently hadn't been expecting anything. Carefully, and with nimble fingers, he pried open the paper and his lips parted ever so slightly as he took in her gift.  
Rosie had asked Colin Creevey to follow her with his camera one day when she'd gone down to meet Severus in the dungeons. The photograph was a magical one. It depicted her, leaping forward and catching the potions master in a hug. She had purposefully turned her head towards the camera, laying it against her guardian's chest in that moment and grinning widely. She'd put it in a tiny silver frame, and on the back had engraved,  
Rosie and Severus. Family means that nobody gets left behind or forgotten.  
Rose had stolen the quote from a muggle children's movie that she'd watched at Ms. Figg's house once. Severus did not speak, and Moony and Sirius were staring at him uncomfortably, so Rosie moved closer and nuzzled at his shoulder with her head until he slid an arm around her small form.  
"Thank you, child." He breathed softly.


	70. Chapter 70

Severus had left around noon to help the rest of the staff prepare for the ball. He had still been furious that she'd hid her affiliation, as he'd called it, with Viktor, but her present had softened him. Sirius had been tasked with helping her prepare for the ball, because he was the one with the hair styling charms. Moony sat on the sofa reading the paper as Siri charmed her dark hair into soft waves. Rosie, who reserved her tiny collection of makeup for nights such as these, painted her face as she had the day that she'd confronted Cedric, and when evening came, she slipped into her dress. Satisfied with the way she looked, Rose came out of her bedroom and down the stairs.  
Moony, who was waiting to see her in the sitting room stood up and his eyes went wide. "Oh, my love. You look absolutely…wow. Severus has one hell of a job to do tonight." He sighed as he motioned her forward.  
Rosie gave him a big hug, and he twirled her in a circle. "Don't forget all those moves I taught you princess." The werewolf winked.  
She hadn't wanted to floo to Hogwarts, because she didn't want to mess up her outfit, so Sirius had promised to apparate her. When he came in from the kitchen, he stopped dead, and his mouth dropped open.  
"Nope. I'm not gonna say a thing. Nuh uh." Siri shook his head. "Ready to go kid?"  
She took his arm, he did his little spin, and they appeared at the apparition point just outside of the Hogwarts gates. There were others arriving at the same time, people who had, like Rosie, chosen to go home for the holidays. Sirius raised an eyebrow when he noticed Krum standing over by the gate waiting for her.  
"You know, I try to be your friend Prongslet, but shit, be careful ok? God, couldn't you have been born a boy?"  
"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not." She bit her lip.  
"Your dad would kill me. He'd crucio me for letting you walk out the door like that."  
"Well. That's just sexist. My dead father does not get to decide how I dress. How would you suggest I leave the house?" She glared.  
"Wearing a sac, preferably."  
Rosie hit his arm. "Oh, give it up Siri!"  
"I know I know, it's fine, go away. We'll see you later tonight." He smirked, as he apparated away.  
She moved into Viktor's path and he spotted her, smiling.  
"Hello Rose." He greeted, kissing her hand. Her legs were already jelly. "You look very beautiful."  
Her date led her into the castle, interlocking their arms. In the entryway, she was met by Ginny and Dean, and Hermione and Ron. Poor Ron was wearing horrifically ugly dress robes, and next to Hermione, he kinda looked like a troll. Her curly haired friend did not seem to mind though, after all, she had fallen for the redheaded boy presumably for a different reason.  
Dean was very handsome, and Ginny looked lovely as well. Her eyes fixed into a glare when she caught sight of Rose. "Oh, I hate you." Ginny growled playfully. "You don't even bloody try and… look at you."  
"Hm, yes well, what I wouldn't do for red hair." Rosie responded, curling a finger in Ginny's fiery locks. She remembered vividly her best friend's conviction that she would lose her virginity that night and wondered if Dean was aware of this plan.  
They all loitered outside until Professor McGonagall came through to collect the champions. Viktor seemed to be having a rousing conversation with Hermione about something, which Ron did not like at all. He was glaring. Rosie might have been jealous, had her eyes not been following Ced from the moment he walked through the door. Viktor was extremely attractive. He made her weak in the knees, but he didn't do anything for her heart, which began to flutter the moment she caught sight of the Hufflepuff boy.  
They walked into the great hall arm and arm behind Cedric and Heidi. Fleur followed with Roger Davies, and they started to dance. It was nerve wracking. Everyone had their eyes trained on the three couples, and Rosie could already feel Severus' glare.  
Viktor took her waist expertly and led her around with as much finesse as Moony, but with a bit less love. He was tall, as tall as the potions master was, but larger somehow, with broad shoulders and a sort of…brutish appearance. His dark eyes studied her intently, and when others began to join them on the dance floor, he slowed his motions and reached forward, taking her locket in between his finger.  
"Vot is your second name?" He questioned, referring to the L, engraving.  
"It's Lily. Rose Lily, for my mother."  
"Very pretty. You are a flower."  
His accent was deep and husky. As they danced, he spoke of Durmstrang, and the competition. Rosie wasn't listening much. She had her eyes trained on Ced, over Krum's shoulder. He was laughing about something with Heidi, but his gaze kept falling back towards her. Every once and a while, her eyes moved to her guardian, who seemed to be laboring under the impression that his stare could serve as a chastity belt if it was deep and penetrating enough.  
As the night descended upon them, Rose and Viktor broke apart, moving to dance with other people and rejoin their respective friend groups for a while. It didn't take long before Rosie was approached again, first by Neville, who stepped on her toes, and was in fact, too nervous to put his hand on her waist, and next by George. Rosie really enjoyed dancing with George. He spun her around until she thought she'd get sick, and they'd laughed a lot.  
Her favorite twin recoiled, and Rose's eyes were wide as Malfoy approached, jutting out his hand as if he wanted to dance with her, in public, in front of everyone. That had been exactly his intention.  
If Rosie had thought that Viktor was a good dancer, he had nothing on Draco Malfoy. The boy was a natural, or perhaps just expensively trained. He pulled her too close and moved too provocatively.  
"Malfoy, you know, dragons, no big deal, but I'm freaked the fuck out by your girlfriend, so why are you doing this?"  
"Relax Potter, I'll make sure she doesn't bite you. I just thought I'd help you make Diggory jealous. That is so obviously your intention."  
Rosie let out a little snort of laughter. "Do you think it's working?"  
The boy raised an eyebrow. "I'll say."  
Malfoy spun her around gracefully, and she caught sight of Ced with a glare almost as weighty as the potion's masters.  
"You know, you look fucking hot Potter. If Pansy wouldn't hunt me down, I'd…" He hissed, biting his lip.  
"You're so gross."  
"Admit it, you wouldn't say no."  
Rose sighed. "No probably not. You've gotta cool it with the iron grip though, Sirius almost lost it after the last time. My poor arms."  
He smirked and drew his fingers lightly down her side, sending chills throughout her body.  
"So that means there'll be a next time then."  
"Malfoy, I'm not kidding, he was so pissed."  
"Yeah, I got it, no death grip. Don't worry. Who even is Black to you anyways?"  
"Mm, hard to say. He was my dad's best friend. He's my ex-godfather, but that's Remus now."  
"He's my cousin." Malfoy said flatly.  
"Yeah, he hates you though, and your parents."  
"I think he was burned off the Black family tree. His brother though, Regulus. He was a death eater. Ruthless he was."  
Rosie's eyes widened. She had not known that. The song was coming to an end, and Malfoy spun her around one last time and then drew her in.  
"I'll be counting on that next time Potter."  
With that, he left her, and Rose could see that Cedric was making his way over. He was frowning, probably because she'd been dancing with Malfoy, but she let him take her in his arms anyways.  
"Hey Rose. You look incredible." He breathed, smiling that crooked smile that he did.  
"Thanks Ced, you look very dashing yourself. How's Heidi?"  
"Not you." He sighed, and he pressed his forehead to hers as they danced.  
"How's Krum? He's a little…gruff for you, don't ya think?"  
"Mm, I wasn't much paying attention to his personality when I agreed to go with him." She commented.  
"Ugh. You're killin' me Rose. I've never been so bloody… jealous. Don't go off with him, please. You don't have to go off with me either… just, stay."  
Rosie brought her lips in close to his ear, standing on her tip toes. "And why not?"  
"Aw Rose, c'mon, I know you're still pissed about Meadow, really, I do and I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking. It was a mistake, and it won't happen again."  
"Ced… it wasn't just that. It was humiliating, to have…Severus tell me that, look at me with his pity eyes, and then to feel like I didn't have your support after I was entered into this stupid tournament. It was too much."  
The boy cringed. "I know, I acted like a real ass. If I could take it back, you know I would."  
She stuck out her bottom lip. "Ced, I know… I know you would, but you can't, and every time I see her with you, I get so…upset, and I just need some time still to forget about it."  
"Some time… you mean you need to get revenge, don't you?"  
Rosie closed her eyes. How did everyone always see right through her?  
"That's what this is. God Rose, fine. Go sleep with that oaf, and make me feel the way you feel, because I will, but come back to me. Got it? Come back to me after all this is over."  
Rosie pressed her face into his chest as they danced.  
"You know, sometimes you can be such a Slytherin." Cedric whispered.  
"The hat sure did want to put me there." She replied.  
"Wait…are you serious?"  
"Deadly. Yup, but I kept chanting, 'not Slytherin,' because I didn't like Malfoy already, and it gave in and put me in Gryffindor."  
"That explains a lot." He twirled her. "You certainly seem to feel differently about Malfoy now."  
"Ced. Cool it. He's just been a friend, you know, since the Longbottom party."  
Her sort-of-boyfriend cringed at the memory.  
The song ended then, and he let go of her. "Rose. I love you, ok? Don't forget."  
Cedric often said that he loved her, but Rosie didn't say it back much…and the times that she had, she hadn't really been sure that she'd meant it. She was fourteen after all. Love was what she felt for Severus, and Moony, her parents, even Sirius. With Ced, it didn't feel like the same thing.  
When Rose reconvened with Viktor at the tail end of the evening, the expectation was clear. Pleasantries were exchanged, but they both knew why they were there. When he led her away, Rose's stomach churned with nerves. It was easier to think about sleeping with Krum then to actually do it. She knew from the moment that he began to touch her, to kiss her, that it was a huge mistake. Severus had been right, of course he had been. This wasn't a boy, this was a man. He was too old for her and Rosie didn't feel comfortable asking him to stop…even less than with Ced or Malfoy. Oh, she had been so caught up in her little revenge plot that she hadn't even given herself a second thought. Rosie hadn't listened.  
Apart from his struggles with english, Viktor didn't seem to understand body language either. He didn't notice as she cringed away, her body freezing as she felt just exactly how large he was clearly against her thigh. Sirius' voice rang through her head, saying,  
You'd just lay there and take it.  
Apparently, he had been right too. Rosie wanted to stop, to tell him no, but she didn't know how. She didn't know what to say, so she just let him touch her. In fact, Rose was sure that she would have let Viktor do whatever he wanted to her had it not been for Ginny. Her best friend had come looking for her, tears streaming down her cheeks, and had burst into the room that Viktor and Rose occupied.  
"Oh! Rosie I'm so sorry!" She cried, as the girl realized what she'd just walked in on.  
For one extremely selfish moment, Rosie breathed a sigh of relief at Ginny's tears. This was her excuse. Now, with the other girl in the room, the fog seemed to have lifted and Rose detached herself from Krum.  
Apologizing hastily, she took Ginny into a hug and ran from the room, trying to slow her breathing. Her friend needed her at that moment, thank Merlin.  
Severus Snape despised teenage girls. He loathed them. They were hormonal, manipulative, and rash. They did not think before acting. They… well, Rose, did not know what she was doing, and it showed. Severus had to take a moment to compose himself when his charge had entered the great hall that evening. He cursed Potter and Lily with everything he had, but not for the reasons one would have expected. He cursed them, because they had both been undeniably attractive, and together, they had created this girl who was… breathtakingly beautiful.  
Severus was acutely aware that others did not see Rose Potter as he did, a tiny, helpless, little girl, crying out for her mother in his pajama top. No, she was viewed by her peers as a young woman… a sex object. It made him shudder to think of what would be running through the head of every teenage boy in the hall that evening. It did not help that Rose seemed to have a lineup of boys waiting to dance with her. Krum had been a horrible choice of date, followed by Longbottom, and one of the Weasley twins. However, nothing had prepared Severus for the horror of watching Draco Malfoy dance with the girl. Yes, he had to quell whatever that was.  
Cedric Diggory was a given, though Severus detested the boy. He knew that after this dreadful little scheme of hers, Rose would wind up back with him. It hadn't been so bad before the Hufflepuff boy had betrayed the girl. That image would never leave his mind, the one of the two heads stumbling out from the broom closet together, red faced and nervous. Reasonably, Severus knew that Rose had been unfaithful to Diggory before that…She'd told Severus that much and he had been to afraid to ask with whom, but he couldn't help but take her side. The problem was, that Rose Potter had the potions master completely and utterly wrapped around her finger. It didn't matter what she did, he could never remain cross with her. That weakness had been put on display once again earlier that morning as she had melted his anger with the simplest of gifts. Truthfully, he couldn't fathom the notion that she would buy him anything…There was nothing he wanted, but Severus had been wrong. He had wanted that, the little photo. He just hadn't known it yet. It had been a well thought out gift.  
The very idea of the child with Viktor Krum was repugnant. She was just a girl, she was small, and the famous seeker was practically the size of Severus himself. So, when Rose took of with him to some unknown location, he debated with himself internally. He could stop the whole operation, or he could let her do as she pleased. The first option was derived from his instincts, as he wanted nothing more than to follow the pair of them and pull her from Krum's grasp; however, there was nothing that Severus wanted less in the world than to encounter Rose any less than decent with any male student. That part of him inevitably won.  
Ginny was almost inconsolable, so it took Rose a long time to understand what'd happened, but it sounded as though she'd tried to have sex with Dean, and it had not gone very well.  
"I…I couldn't Rosie… I could let him, it hurt, I got scared. I didn't want him to have control of me like that. All… all I could think about was… Tom!"  
Rosie's heart clenched. Poor Ginny.  
"Ok, it's alright Gin. It's not your fault. It's just your body's way of protecting yourself." She soothed.  
"But Rosie… why? I wasn't… it wasn't like… what happened to you, but even you can have sex. There's gotta be something wrong with me."  
"No… Ginny, it's the same damn thing, ok? It's all the same. These men, they think they can just do whatever they want to a girl like its no big deal. What happened to you is the same by nature as what happened to me. Somebody took away your ability to decide, and now you're scared of giving up that control."  
"Do you really think that?" Her friend looked up at her, her cheeks red and blotchy.  
"Absolutely." She replied, and it was true.  
Fred and George were beside themselves with concern when Rosie sought them out to inform them that she would be bringing Ginny back to Moony's cottage for the night, noting their sister's obvious distress, but they had ultimately agreed.  
Severus only raised an eyebrow at her request and pacified her, apparating both the girls home. Ginny slept in Rosie's bed that night, curled up against her in borrowed pajamas, her pain a reflection of Rose's own pain, in a tight circle of comradery.


	71. Chapter 71

The morning after the Yule Ball, Rosie woke up feeling like she had a hangover. Ginny was still asleep, and Rose left her in the bed and trekked downstairs. It must have been late because both Moony and Sirius were downstairs already. When she came into the kitchen, they both looked up.  
"Honey. You're awake." Moony started. "Is everything ok? Why did you bring Ginny home with you?"  
Rose was in a foul mood, so she just glared. "Because men are trash, and they just use girls for whatever the fuck they want and then leave them to die."  
She began to make some coffee for herself and her friend, turning away from them.  
"Sweetheart, did something happen? Was it Krum… did he do something to you?" Her godfather's voice was raising in pitch, laced with concern.  
"No. It wasn't me." She snapped.  
"Did something happen to Ginny?" Moony just wasn't letting up.  
"Not last night no."  
"Rose…" He put his hand on her arm and she flinched.  
"Moony. Leave me alone. I'm just mad at the world ok? Just let me be." Her tone was harsh and hurt flashed across his face as she spoke.  
Sirius apparently didn't like how she was acting because he stepped forward.  
"Rose. Don't treat Remus that way. He's just worried about you."  
She snarled in his direction and turned away.  
"No, hey, you're being rude."  
Rosie lost it then. "No, you know who's fucking rude Sirius? Voldemort. He's bloody rude."  
He cringed. "Yup, that was never up for debate, but that's no excuse for you to act like a…"  
"Sirius." Moony stopped him from continuing. "Leave Rosie alone."  
"Like a what? Were you gonna call me a bitch?"  
Moony watched helplessly as they baited each other.  
"You didn't hear it from me." Sirius shot back, coming closer.  
"Get away from me." She hissed, trying to turn away, but he stopped her, grabbing onto her arm.  
Rosie snapped. "Back. Off. Me. Please. I really don't want to be around…. men right now. Leave me alone."  
Sirius dropped her arm like it burned and exchanged a look with Moony. Rose abandoned her coffee and moved to the couch, wrapping herself in a blanket and staring at the wall, eyes devoid of life.  
Remus crept into the dark bedroom where Ginny Weasley still slept, his chest tight with worry. Rose had not reacted that way to him since the very first time she'd visited his office at Hogwarts. He hated that…flinch. Gently, the werewolf placed a hand on the redheaded girl's shoulder to rouse her. The girl's eyes shot open, and she pushed herself back. Then she realized who was standing over her and sighed.  
"Oh, hi Professor Lupin."  
"Morning Ginny, please call me Remus. I'm sorry to wake you dear. I just thought you might be able to help me with something."  
The girl sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, what's up?" She asked.  
"Well… it's Rose…you see she woke up in a really foul mood, and she's reacted pretty badly to both Sirius as I, and now she's isolated herself. We're pretty concerned. I'm just wondering if something happened last night, something that might have upset her."  
"Hmm, well a lot of things happened last night sir…" Ginny began awkwardly. "I don't know, she was dancing with Cedric, so that could've done it…She was also erm…getting close with Krum…but I interrupted that, and then she was comforting me."  
Remus frowned. "She used an expression likening the male species to garbage and expressed a desire not to be around Sirius and I, for that reason. There was something about you-know-who as well."  
The girl's eyes widened. "Er…yeah that might be my fault." She confessed.  
"How so?" He prodded.  
"Um, well, Rosie and I are close for a lot of reasons Professor…Remus, sir, but one of the reasons we kinda got closer was because we had some similar negative experiences." The child flushed red and looked away.  
Remus nodded, understanding settling in his stomach. "I'm very sorry to hear that Ginny." He exhaled.  
The girl bit her lip. "Anyways, I was upset last night, and maybe that made her upset too. I can try to see if she'll talk to me."  
"Would you dear? I really don't like to see her like this."  
Ginny made a move to stand but Remus stopped her. "Oh, when you're ready. I don't want you to feel like you have to help now if you're still not feeling well."  
She shot him a little smile and shook her head. "Naw, I'm fine. It's Rosie who had it real bad sir."  
Remus winced when she said that, remembering. He had tried his best to block out the replay of Lockhart's memories from the trial, but every once in a while, it snuck up on him.  
As it turned out, Ginny Weasley didn't have much luck snapping Rose out of her stupor either. His goddaughter remained frozen in place, her eyes blank and her face listless for hours until it was time for Remus to go in to work. He really didn't want to leave Rosie alone with just Sirius, not after they'd been fighting, but he'd already missed work for the moon and for Christmas, so the werewolf didn't have much of a choice if he wanted to keep this job. Bending down to Rose's level on the couch, he cupped her face in his hands and planted a kiss on the top of her head.  
"I'll see you later princess. I've asked Severus to come by around dinner time to check in honey. I think Sirius has gone up to his room."  
He got no reaction. Perhaps Severus would be able to break her out of it.  
Severus flooed to Rose's home that evening, unimpressed and irritated. According to Lupin, the girl had been unresponsive since the morning and the wolf had only thought to inform him when it was for all intents and purposes, too late for Rose to regain her day. It was just as he'd expected. She was just tense, fighting an outburst. Just because she hadn't had a reaction similar for a while didn't mean she was cured. Lupin should know that, and he should've known what to do about it. Rose should not have been left to suffer all day. Black must have heard him floo in because he came down the stairs glaring, and Severus approached his charge on the couch.  
"Snape, we're fine, you can leave." The mutt spat.  
The potions master sighed with exasperation. Black would rather see her in pain then have him around. If anyone was causing a rift between Rose and Potter, it was him, not Severus.  
"Sit down Black." He hissed.  
"Don't fucking tell me what to do in my own home."  
"Black. I do not have the patience for your territorial games. This is pre-outburst behavior; which Lupin should have recognized."  
Rose wasn't looking at him, nor was she looking at Black. In fact, she didn't seem to have noticed his arrival at all. Severus sighed long and low, and moved closer to the child, jostling her and wrapping his arms firmly around Rose's shoulders. The girl recoiled.  
"Don't touch me!" She cried, trying to wriggle away from him.  
"Snivellus, what the fuck, get off her." Black appeared as though he wished to intervene.  
Rose was beginning to panic, unable to escape his grasp. Her eyes rolled back into her head and her breathing became choppy and ragged as she pleaded with him to release her. Finally, and with a satisfying crash, the stand in the sitting room fell over, spilling its contents onto the floor. It wasn't as though Severus enjoyed restraining Rose, in fact it was almost physically painful, but it was worse to see her…lifeless.  
Black cursed again, still glaring, but his eyes widened as the girl seemed to spring to life. She lunged forward into Severus and began to cry.  
"Alright child. There there. What happened?"  
"S…Sirius was right." She choked. "I…I can't…p…protect myself. I…I can't do anything. I…can't protect Ginny. All I am, all I seem to be worth is…a good fuck."  
He froze. That had to be the foulest thing he'd ever heard come out of Rose Potter's mouth. His body tensed with anger as he took in what she'd said. Black had made her believe this. Turning around to stare at the mutt, he noted that Black's mouth hung open in surprise. When he caught Severus' gaze, he began to splutter.  
"I didn't… I never told her that. God, I would never tell her that."  
"What exactly did you tell her then?" His voice was dangerously low.  
Before Black could answer him, Rose let out another sob and buried her face in his shoulder roughly. Severus sighed and traced lines up and down her back in an attempt at comfort.  
"What happened child?"  
Her voice was muffled by his robes, but he made out what she said with uncomfortable clarity.  
"I got scared and didn't feel like such an adult anymore." She admitted, repeating his words to her exactly as he'd spoken them the day before.  
Severus' chest tightened as the next question brimmed on his lips. "Did Viktor Krum hurt you Rose?"  
She shook her head, face still hidden. "No, but I would've let him. I would have let him do anything because I couldn't say no…"  
Black seemed to let out his breath and hang his head at her words.  
"Is this why you brought Miss Weasley here last night?"  
Rose shook her head again. "No. Ginny was upset…about Tom Riddle, she gets that way sometimes, but then I just got to thinking about that, and then Viktor, and I just feel so…helpless all the time. Anybody could do anything to me…you or Sirius, if you wanted, I would let you because your stronger and I don't know how to refuse."  
At that, Severus balked. He did not like this new attitude. "Rose. As I have said before, nothing inappropriate will ever come to pass between us. I would never ask that of you, nor would I want to. You are a child and I am an adult, and you are worth so very much more than that."  
"I know that Severus…but you could. Anybody could, and that's the scary part."  
Severus shook his head and turned to Black, his face set with rage.  
"What. did you. say. to her?"  
The mutt raised his hands defensively. "Rosie knows I would never, ever hurt her… I just said that she needs to develop some fight instincts and learn how to protect herself if she's gonna learn to duel, and it kinda transferred over into her personal life too."  
"Do you not see how you've frightened her?" Severus growled.  
"Did you ever think that maybe she should be afraid Snape? Next time there might not be a Ginny Weasley to intervene."  
Rosie watched nervously as Sirius began to argue with her guardian.  
"Stay in your place Black." The potions master spat. "You are no longer her godfather, and you do not get to make decisions for her."  
Ugh. Rose wanted her mother again, or at least Moony. How was she supposed to make these two-stop fighting? She should never have spoken in the first place.  
"No. I'm not, and I'm not trying to make decisions for her either. I'm just pointing out that maybe she needs to hear the truth instead of some false safety narrative that you and Remus feed her."  
"She. Is. safe." Severus sounded like her might kill Sirius if he kept talking.  
"No, she's bloody not! You don't want to admit it, but she's not a child. She's not a baby and she's just gonna fall a hell of a lot harder if you keep treating her like one!"  
Sirius turned to her now.  
"Rose, hon, I'm not trying to be a dick, but you have got to learn how to say no, and then you need to learn how to pick up your damn wand and use it."  
"Do not address her that way." Severus interjected. "Rose is not James Potter. She is a child, and she is protected."  
"Hell, I know she's not James, but as creepy as you are Sniv, even you can't be in every drawing room, broom closet, or bedroom with her!"  
Rosie jumped in. "Don't call Severus that name!"  
"Oh, just shut up about that for once in your life Prongslet."  
"Sirius, I love Severus and it really bothers me when you use that name for him." She insisted.  
"Yeah…yeah, we all know how much you fucking love Snape, it's a shame that you can't feel the same way about your own bloody father!"  
She flinched and she felt the familiar stinging in her eyes. Rose looked up at Severus, who had closed his own eyes and her lip quivered.  
Sirius seemed to regret what he'd said because he exhaled and rubbed his temples.  
"Rosie…" He tried, but she was gone.


End file.
